Get three different ways to deliver a hard message
Three distinct versions of a difficult message (direct, empathetic, and collaborative) with when each one works best.
The prompt
Give me three different ways to communicate a difficult message, so I can choose the right approach.
The message I need to get across: [WHAT I need to say]
Who will hear it: [PERSON or group, and our relationship]
What I know about how they take news: [e.g. "prefers bluntness", "anxious", "very senior and busy"]
Channel: [face to face / video call / email / Teams or Slack]
Outcome I need: [e.g. acceptance, a change in behavior, a decision, keeping the relationship]
Write three versions of the core message (spoken or written, to match the channel):
1. Direct - the point in the first sentence, minimal cushioning.
2. Empathetic - acknowledges the impact on them first, then the message, without diluting it.
3. Collaborative - frames it as a shared problem and invites them into the solution.
For each version, add:
- When it works best and when it could backfire with this person.
- The likely first reaction and a one-line response to it.
Then give me:
- Your recommendation for this situation, and why.
- What must stay the same in all three - the facts and the ask that can't be softened away.
Rules: all three must deliver the same substance - only the framing changes. No hedging that makes the message unclear, and no invented details. Keep each version under 150 words.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Email & Workplace Communication prompts
What to fill in
- WHAT I need to say
- PERSON or group, and our relationship
- e.g. "prefers bluntness", "anxious", "very senior and busy"
- face to face / video call / email / Teams or Slack
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
Related prompts
- Make my message sound collaborative, not defensiveRewrites a tense or defensive reply so it stays firm on facts while inviting cooperation instead of a fight.
- Write a stronger opening line for my email or messageGives you several sharper opening lines that get to the point and make the reader keep reading.
- Write a word-for-word script for a difficult conversationA word-for-word conversation script with opening lines, key questions, and phrases to avoid so you stay direct without being harsh.
- Write early-alert outreach messages for at-risk college studentsDrafts supportive, specific outreach to students flagged for missing class, low grades, or disengagement.