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Cerebral Power Conditioning
Start with a familiar situation

Find your first words.

Choose a workplace scenario and practise what to say, how to listen and what to do next.

Explore freely. No personal details needed unless you ask us to email the deck.

Fictional examples, not an assessment of anyone’s wellbeing.

Save or print the full conversation deck (PDF)

Three situations. Four useful steps.

Open a scenario to read the examples. Each follows CPC's Open, Observe, Ask, Agree approach.

Someone in my team has gone quiet.

A colleague who usually contributes has been quieter in recent meetings. You want to check in without assuming why.

Open — Make space, without putting them on the spot.

Could we find a quiet moment to check in? I wanted to see how things are going for you.

Choose a private time with room to listen. If now isn’t a good moment, agree another time.

Observe — Describe a change, not a conclusion.

I noticed you were quieter in our last two team meetings than usual.

Use a specific observation you can stand behind. Being quiet doesn’t tell you what someone is feeling or why.

Ask — Invite their perspective.

How have things been for you at work recently?

Pause and listen. They may not want to discuss personal circumstances; you can still ask what would help at work.

Agree — Let their answer shape the next step.

What would be useful from me? Shall we agree one next step and a time to check in again?

Only agree actions that fit what they’ve told you. Clarify who will do what, and don’t promise a change outside your authority.

A reliable colleague is missing deadlines.

Two reports have arrived later than agreed. You want to understand what’s getting in the way rather than make a judgement.

Open — Explain the reason for the conversation.

Could we set aside a few minutes to talk about how the reporting work is going?

Raise the issue privately and allow time for their response, rather than squeezing it into a passing comment.

Observe — Keep the example factual.

The last two reports came in after the dates we agreed. That’s different from your usual pattern.

Avoid labels such as careless or disengaged. You’ve noticed a change; you don’t yet know its cause.

Ask — Explore the obstacles before offering a solution.

What has been getting in the way? Are there priorities or expectations we need to clarify?

The answer could involve workload, a process, resources or something else. Listen before deciding what needs to change.

Agree — Make the next action specific.

What should we tackle first? Let’s agree the next action, who will take it and when we’ll review it.

A useful step might be clarifying priorities or investigating a process problem. Agree it together rather than treating this example as a fixed solution.

Someone says their workload is too much.

A team member has told you they’re struggling with the amount of work. Start by listening, then look at practical options.

Open — Acknowledge that they’ve spoken up.

Thank you for telling me. Let’s make some time to understand what’s feeling too much.

Take the concern seriously. Avoid immediately offering reassurance that everything will be fine.

Observe — Reflect what they’ve actually told you.

You’ve said the current workload feels too much. I’d like to understand which parts are hardest to manage.

Don’t invent signs or assume a diagnosis. Here, the starting point is their own account, not your interpretation.

Ask — Understand the work and what needs attention.

Which tasks or deadlines are creating the most pressure? What would make the biggest practical difference?

Explore priorities, resources and expectations. A wellbeing benefit isn’t a substitute for addressing manageable work problems.

Agree — Be honest about what you can change.

Let’s agree what I can change now and what I need to take forward. When would be a useful time to review this together?

Record the agreed work actions appropriately, not unnecessary personal health details. If another source of support is relevant, use accurate information and explain any limits to confidentiality.

A starting point, not a diagnosis.

This guide helps managers prepare an everyday workplace conversation. It doesn’t assess mental health, provide therapy or replace your organisation's procedures or appropriate professional support. It isn’t an emergency service. Don’t use a routine check-in in place of urgent help where someone is in immediate danger.

Your scenario selection stays only in this page's memory and is cleared when you reload or leave. Saving or printing doesn’t ask for your details. If you request the deck by email, your name, email and optional workshop-contact choice are sent to CPC to fulfil that request. Your chosen scenario isn’t sent. CPC's existing appearance preference is separate.