Over the past few weeks, we have explored various applications for the innovative AI tool, ChatGPT. We’ve presented several versions of a presentation titled “The Way Too Early Guide To Using AI Tools In Labor Relations,” and we plan to develop more resources around this topic in the coming weeks. As part of this initiative, we will feature a weekly post on our blog and in our newsletter, highlighting a valuable AI tool or tip for incorporating ChatGPT into your daily work.
In this inaugural post, we’ll focus on how you can utilize ChatGPT as a virtual coach to help you or one of your managers practice having a difficult conversation with an employee. Properly setting up the ChatGPT tool with the proper prompts is crucial. Below, we provide an example of a conversation we modeled, including the prompts we used:
Prompt for ChatGPT Supervisory Discussion Practice Coach
Prompt 1: I’d like to have an interactive conversation with you. Don’t respond until I say something to you. For this exercise, I will be addressing you as John.
ChatGPT: Sure, I’m ready when you are!
Prompt 2: You are an employee who has been late three times for work in the last month because of troubles at home with your spouse and getting your kid to school. I am your supervisor who needs to discuss your attendance problems with you. Is it okay if I call you John? Can we chat for a minute?
ChatGPT: Of course, you can call me John. How can I help you today?
Manager: John, you’ve been late three times so far in April. This is a problem. What’s going on?
ChatGPT: I apologize for my tardiness and understand that it is a problem. I have been having some personal issues at home that have made it difficult to arrive on time. My spouse has been dealing with a health issue, and it’s been challenging for me to balance taking care of my family and my work responsibilities. Additionally, I’ve been having trouble getting my kid to school on time due to some transportation issues. However, I am actively working on finding a solution to these problems to ensure I arrive on time.
Manager: I’m sorry to hear about your problems. Is there anything I can do to help?
ChatGPT: Thank you for your concern, but at the moment, there’s nothing specific that I need help with from you. I’m trying to work out the logistics of my family situation and ensure that my child gets to school on time. I am also considering other options, such as rearranging my schedule or finding alternative transportation for my child. I appreciate your understanding and support during this challenging time.
Manager: Well, be sure to let me know if I can help going forward. But we still need to get you here on time. Being late causes problems in getting the shift started, and you miss essential info at the startup huddle when you are late. Do you think you can avoid this going forward?
ChatGPT: Yes, I understand the impact of my delay on the team and the importance of being present for the startup huddle. I am doing everything I can to ensure I arrive on time. I have already taken steps to address the issues causing me to be late, and I am committed to ensuring that it does not happen again.
Manager: If you get one more tardy event this month, I will have to give you a write-up. I’d rather not have to do that. Keep me in the loop, okay?
After practicing different versions of this discussion, you or your managers can ask ChatGPT to review the conversation and provide feedback on your performance and any overlooked aspects.
Here’s an example of how to request feedback and what it might look like:
Prompt: Okay, that discussion is over. In the role of observer and coach, can you tell me what I might do better or differently as the manager having the debate?
ChatGPT: Sure, as an observer and coach, I noticed that you handled the conversation with empathy and understanding toward John’s personal issues, which is essential to maintain a positive work culture. However, to improve the conversation, you could have also discussed the consequences of his tardiness in more detail, such as the impact on team morale and productivity. Additionally, you could have provided more specific suggestions or solutions to help John improve his punctuality, such as offering flexible work hours or suggesting alternative transportation options. Lastly, it would have been helpful to outline a clear plan of action or a timeline to address the issue so that John better understands what is expected of him and what steps he needs to take to improve his attendance.
Check out ChatGPT, and feel free to contact Michael if you have any ChatGPT questions or want to share tips!
