Use this to: keep an important conversation focused on one request or decision.
Try it
- Name the purpose. “I want us to decide…” or “I need to explain…”
- Prepare the main sentence. State the issue and what you are asking for.
- Plan a way back. Write a sentence you can use if the discussion shifts away from the issue.
- Choose a support. Notes, a time limit, a quieter place, or a pause may help.
Example
You need fewer interruptions while working. Your opening is: “I need an uninterrupted hour from 10 to 11.” If the discussion becomes about whether you work too much, return with: “I want to come back to how we’ll handle interruptions during that hour.”
Your next step: Write your opening sentence and one sentence that brings you back to the point.
Source note: The earlier version credited Greg McKeown’s August 2025 clarity series as inspiration for defining a conversation’s aim. This exercise adapts that idea for communication needs and capacity.