As a first-line manager, form a chat with an employee you supervise about an issue touching on corporate policy, ethics, or performance. Form statements that is the bulk of the chat, simulating the initial stage of a difficult conversation at work. The prepared statement should 1) briefly summarize the incident/issue, 2) explain and inform employee about the relevant corporate policies or best practices, and 3) outline guidelines for future action and persuade/motivate the audience to adhere to these practices as part of future success.

setting/scenario for the chat below.

Most of the time, things flow smoothly, but over the past year, a worrying pattern has emerged with one of your employees, Whitney. Whitney's job is almost entirely self-contained, as she handles two large accounts and does all the paperwork and contact with them. Her work is exemplary when completed, but she is increasingly inconsistent with when things are completed. Weekly summaries that are typically due on Friday, for example, tend to show up on the intranet late. You'll typically see her reports before Tuesday of the following weeks. Invoices and reimbursement paperwork are also being filed at the last second, sometimes late. When you've brought up individual missing reports or late papers before, she has always told you "I'll get right on it" and completes it quickly. The next week, though, it is late again. So far, there have been no complaints from clients, and they have a good relationship with her, but the pattern is starting to concern you. You decide, though, that it is time to discuss Whitney's performance and the problem of the late work. When you've mentioned late work in the past, Whitney is quick to bring up the quality of her work and how happy the clients are, and she has generally been unreceptive to the idea that missing these due dates is a problem. As you prepare for this talk, consider what workplace practices or parts of organizational culture might help you develop this chat.