Tough Talks: Conversation Prep

Say the hard thing well. The conversation you keep postponing is the one that matters most. Tough Talks is a private workspace for preparing difficult workplace conversations—performance gaps, behavior issues, saying no to a raise, ending a contract, mediating conflict—for managers, founders, and independent professionals. PREPARE — THE PREP SHEET Write The Point: why this talk, why now, and the outcome you actually want. Separate facts (what a camera would record) from your story about them. Map their side—views, needs, fears. Decide which lines are firm and which are open before the pressure starts. Plan your response to anger, tears, silence, or denial. Script your first minute and the questions that carry the talk. A live 10-point Prep Score shows how ready you really are. PERFORM — ROOM MODE Your opening lines, firm boundaries, and open ground on one screen. Log agreements as they happen: who does what, by when. When it gets hot, your planned responses and ready-made de-escalation lines are one tap away. Quick notes capture exact quotes. The screen stays awake throughout. REVIEW — DEBRIEF AND STATS Record what happened, how much of your outcome you got, and whether your lines held. Compare how much you dreaded the talk with how hard it actually was—the Dread Gap—and see, in your own numbers, how the dread usually compares with reality. Set a follow-up date with a reminder, and build a lessons library from every conversation. LEARN — THE PLAYBOOK • 12 principles of honest, humane hard conversations • 24 reactions and how to respond to each—from blame-shifting to the apology loop • 30 ready-to-use phrases for openings, emotion, boundaries, closings, and follow-ups • 8 prep frameworks explained: facts vs. stories, firm lines and open ground, the reaction rehearsal, and more PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Fully offline • No account • No ads • No analytics or tracking • No external SDKs • No subscription • Optional Face ID or Touch ID lock • PDF Talk Brief export and full JSON backup and restore Notes about people are sensitive—everything you write stays on your device. Tough Talks is a preparation workspace. It does not provide legal or HR advice. Buy it once. Use it before every hard conversation for years.