# Reply calmly to an angry or emotionally charged message from a colleague

Drafts a calm, professional reply to a heated email or Teams or Slack message that lowers the temperature and moves things forward.

- Topic: Email & Workplace Communication
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Communication, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/reply-calmly-to-an-angry-or-emotionally-charged-message-from-a

## Prompt

```text
Help me reply to an emotionally charged message from someone I work with.

**Their message:** [PASTE]
**Who sent it and our relationship:** [ROLE, history]
**What I think triggered it:** [CONTEXT - optional]
**Where it came in:** [email / Teams / Slack / text], and who else can see it: [just me / cc list / group channel]
**What's true in their complaint, if anything:** [BE HONEST]
**What I need from the outcome:** [e.g. fix the problem, correct a misunderstanding, protect the relationship]

Give me:
1. **What's really going on** - the underlying concern behind the heat, and which points are fair, mistaken, or unclear.
2. **Whether to reply in writing at all** - or suggest a quick call instead, with a one-line message to set it up.
3. **The reply**, which: acknowledges their concern without accepting unfair blame, owns anything that is genuinely mine, corrects facts neutrally, and proposes a clear next step. Under 150 words.
4. **A version for a public channel** if others can see it - shorter, moving the detail to a private conversation.
5. **What not to do** - matching their tone, replying point by point, adding people to cc, or sending while angry.

Rules: no sarcasm, passive aggression, or defensive over-explaining. Don't admit fault for things I haven't said are my fault. If the message includes threats, harassment, or discriminatory language, tell me to keep a copy and involve my manager or HR rather than just reply.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE
- ROLE, history
- CONTEXT - optional
- email / Teams / Slack / text
- just me / cc list / group channel
- BE HONEST

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.