Frameworks worth having on hand for work conversations — feedback, decisions, writing, coaching, problem-solving.
Feedback & difficult conversations
Situation
Framework
Steps
Giving feedback
SBI
Situation, Behaviour, Impact
Giving feedback (with an ask)
COIN
Context, Observation, Impact, Next steps
Difficult conversation
DESC
Describe, Express, Specify, Consequence
Difficult conversation (high-stakes)
STATE
Share facts, Tell your story, Ask, Talk tentatively, Encourage testing
Coaching & 1:1s
Situation
Framework
Steps
Coaching a report
GROW
Goal, Reality, Options, Will
Behavioural interview / performance review
STAR
Situation, Task, Action, Result
Project retro
4Ls
Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for
Quick retro
SSC
Start, Stop, Continue
Decisions & prioritization
Situation
Framework
Steps
Prioritizing a backlog
MoSCoW
Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have
Weighing an option
SWOT
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Deciding under time pressure
OODA
Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
Managing your time
Eisenhower Matrix
Urgent × Important quadrants
Writing & presenting
Situation
Framework
Steps
Status update
PREP
Point, Reason, Example, Point
Memo / exec summary
SCQA
Situation, Complication, Question, Answer
Leading with the answer
BLUF
Bottom Line Up Front
Pitching an idea
PSB
Problem, Solution, Benefit
Presenting data or an insight
WWW
What, So What, Now What
Problem-solving
Situation
Framework
Steps
Root cause
5 Whys
Ask “why” 5 times to find the root cause
Root cause (visual)
Fishbone
Group causes by category (People, Process, Equipment, …) around an effect
Continuous improvement
PDCA
Plan, Do, Check, Act
Rigorous process improvement
DMAIC
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
Senior lunches / informal conversations
Low-stakes, unstructured, and off the record — but this is really just table topics again. Most of what comes up is still a personal story, an opinion, advice, a comparison, or a hypothetical, so POACH applies directly. A few situations specific to informal chats with senior people are worth having ready on top of that:
Situation
Framework
Steps
Talking about your work without sounding like you’re bragging
SCR
Situation, Challenge, Result (frame the result around the team/impact, not just yourself)
Asked your opinion on something sensitive (strategy, a reorg, politics)
ABC
Acknowledge the question, Bridge to safer ground, Communicate the point you actually want to land
Signalling career ambition tactfully
IEA
Interest, Evidence, Ask
Making small talk / building rapport
FORD
Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams
Showing you’re listening
Open → Narrow
Ask an open question, then a specific follow-up that shows you picked up on their answer
Pulling technical knowledge/wisdom out of them on something you don’t know deeply
SEER
Story (“walk me through a time when…” — gets tacit knowledge, not a textbook answer), Explain (get them to explain a term/concept simply — checks your understanding as you go), Edge cases (ask what trips people up or goes wrong — this is where the real expertise lives), Rule of thumb (ask if they have a heuristic or shortcut — the compressed “wisdom” version)
As with table topics — this list will keep growing. Worth pruning down to whichever ones actually stick in practice.