Write the current situation in observable terms, explain its effect and choose one specific request. Prepare a workable alternative and a realistic next step if agreement is unavailable. Choose a suitable setting, with appropriate support if a direct conversation could put you at risk.
An uncomfortable conversation can grow in your mind. You rehearse every objection while leaving the actual request vague. A short preparation note can give you something steadier to bring to the discussion.
Choose a suitable time and setting. A conversation about workload needs enough attention for both people to look at the work, rather than a hurried exchange at the end of a meeting.
Separate facts from your interpretation
Write what happened in observable terms. “Three additional tasks arrived this week” is more useful than “Nobody respects my time.” You can still describe the effect on you, but begin with something the other person can understand and discuss.
List the relevant deadlines or commitments. Avoid bringing every past frustration into a conversation intended to solve one current problem.
Make a specific request
Decide what you want to ask for. Perhaps you need priorities agreed, a deadline moved or a duty shared. “Could we decide which of these tasks comes first?” gives the other person a clear question.
Prepare one alternative you could reasonably accept. If a deadline cannot change, could the scope be reduced? Check that the alternative actually fits your capacity before offering it.
Know what you can do without agreement
The Program on Negotiation describes BATNA as the best alternative to a negotiated agreement. For this exercise, simply think about your realistic next option if the request is declined. It should be something you can genuinely do, not a threat invented to force agreement.
Some situations require support or specialist advice. If speaking directly would put you at risk, use the preparation note to seek appropriate help rather than forcing a confrontation.
A one-page preparation
- The situation is…
- The effect on the work or on me is…
- My request is…
- An alternative I could discuss is…
- If we cannot agree, my next realistic step is…
Bring the note as a guide. Leave space to learn something you did not know before the conversation.
Preparing a workload discussion before two deadlines collide
An illustrative exampleConsider a workload discussion where a report and presentation are due together. Before the meeting, you list the tasks, remaining work and the available time. Your opening is: "Both items are due Friday, and I cannot complete both to the required standard in the remaining time. Can we choose which comes first?" You prepare an alternative in which the figures arrive first and the commentary follows later, checking that you could actually fulfil it. During the conversation, you learn that the presentation has a fixed external deadline. You discuss the report timing using that information, then confirm what remains assigned to you. Your note keeps the discussion focused on the current work without needing an account of every earlier frustration.
Prepare one current issue
Tick the steps as you work through them.
0 of 5 steps checked
When preparing becomes endless rehearsal
Limit the note to the information needed for this decision. Imagining every objection can leave the actual request unfinished. Prepare one alternative and one clarification question, then leave room for information you do not have. If the conversation involves a serious power imbalance, unsafe conditions or a formal dispute, seek appropriate support rather than forcing a direct exchange. For an ordinary discussion, a short written guide can be enough. You may pause during the meeting to check a detail before making a new commitment.
A conversation preparation note
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