Help me prepare for a comp conversation with {{report name}}.
Inputs:
- Their current comp: {{base, variable, equity}}
- What I am proposing: {{change, effective date, reasoning}}
- Internal context: {{band, peer comp range, their performance rating}}
- Their stated expectations / hints (if any): {{paste}}
- Relationship context: {{recent wins/conflicts, trust level}}
Output:
## The narrative in 60 seconds
The opening I should walk in with. Direct, no hedging. Names the change and the reason.
## What they will hear
The story they will construct after the conversation, in their own words. Pre-write it. If it diverges from what I want them to hear, I need to change my framing.
## Hard questions they will ask
3–5 questions, ranked by likelihood. For each: the answer (honest, with the constraint I'm operating under) and the follow-up they will ask, and the answer to that.
## The "what if they push back" map
- If they ask for more: what's the maximum and what would have to be true to grant it
- If they reject the framing: how I redirect without softening the message
- If they cry / get angry / threaten to leave: my plan for each, including when to call the meeting
## The thing I should NOT say
Common comp-conversation traps: comparing to peers, blaming budget, promising future raises, "I fought for you," "you'll see this is fair."
## After the meeting
What's in writing within 24 hours, who I update internally, when the next 1:1 specifically references this.
Hard rule: if I can't defend the comp number with one specific reason tied to their work, the comp number is wrong. Fix the number, not the script.managementcompensationdifficult-conversations