Choose one of three approaches. The steps for that option appear below.
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ChatGPT writes the brief, guide and blank notes sheet from your facts, then rewords marked questions.
Write the purpose
Draft the guide
Read the questions
Read and check
Use: You
Have ready: what the conversation is for and what is off limits.
Check your notes hold no guesses about the colleague's plans, and that private circumstances are off limits.
Use: ChatGPT
Ask ChatGPT for the brief, the guide and a blank notes sheet.
What to paste into the tool
Task: First turn my rough facts into a short brief, then write a conversation guide and a blank notes sheet from it. Brief: restate my purpose, time, topics and off-limits list in plain words, adding nothing. Guide: a short opening, six to eight open questions about what helps and what makes work harder, and a closing that promises nothing. Notes table columns: topic, what they said (their words), request or idea raised, action promised (leave empty). Questions must be open, neutral and about work only. Do not hint at leaving, ask about private circumstances or promise changes. Use [colleague] and [my role]. My rough facts: [paste your notes]. Second message, after your check: Task: Ask for neutral rewording of only the questions you marked. Reword only the questions I marked below so they are open and neutral. Return only the reworded marked questions; I will place them in the saved guide. Do not add questions. Do not hint at leaving or promise anything. Marked questions and my notes: [paste the questions you marked and why].
Use: You
Read the brief and each question as the colleague would; ask ChatGPT to reword only the questions you mark, in the same chat.
Every line must come from your facts. Delete any question that tests, hints at leaving, probes private matters or leads.
Use: You
Read the guide aloud and check the notes sheet.
Comments and promised actions need separate columns. Nothing is promised or sent. You decide how to use it.
Claude lists question themes and wording to avoid first, with no questions yet. You pick the themes.
Note your aims
List themes
Pick themes
Draft questions
Read and edit
Use: You
Have ready: your purpose and topics. Note what you want to understand in short numbered notes (T1, T2...).
Leave out guesses about the colleague's plans and private matters.
Use: Claude
Ask Claude for question themes and wording to avoid, with no questions yet.
What to paste into the tool
Task: Ask for question themes and wording to avoid, with no questions yet. From these notes, list themes for what helps a colleague stay and what makes work harder, and list kinds of wording to avoid (leading, hinting at leaving, private matters, promises). Do not write questions yet. Use only the notes. Notes: [paste your checked notes].
Use: You
Tick the themes you want and add the wording rules you agree with.
Drop any theme touching private circumstances. Choose six to eight themes, or mark the guide unfinished. Invent no work facts.
Use: Claude
Ask Claude for open questions for the chosen themes and a blank notes table.
What to paste into the tool
Task: Ask for open questions for the chosen themes, and a blank notes table. For each theme below write one open, neutral question about work. Add a short opening and a closing that promises nothing. Add an empty notes table with columns: topic, what they said (their words), request or idea raised, action promised (leave empty). Follow the wording rules. Themes: [paste the chosen themes]. Wording rules: [paste the rules you agreed with].
Use: You
Read the guide aloud, edit it and check the notes table.
Each question is open and neutral. Nothing hints at leaving. Nothing is promised or sent.
Gemini drafts the guide from your checked notes. You check every line against your records and choose.
Write the purpose
Draft the guide
Mark problems
Read and check
Use: You
Have ready: your purpose, time and topics, and what is off limits. Write the brief.
Check the brief holds no guesses about the colleague's plans. Add private circumstances to the off-limits list.
Use: Gemini
Ask Gemini for a conversation guide of six to eight open questions with an opening and closing, plus a blank notes sheet.
What to paste into the tool
Task: Ask for the guide and a blank notes sheet. Write a conversation guide and a blank notes sheet from my brief. Guide: a short opening, six to eight open questions about what helps and what makes work harder, and a closing that promises nothing. Notes table columns: topic, what they said (their words), request or idea raised, action promised (leave empty). Questions must be open, neutral and about work only. Do not hint at leaving, ask about private circumstances or promise changes. Brief: [paste your checked brief]. Second message, after your check: Task: Ask for neutral rewording of only the questions you marked. Reword only the questions I marked below so they are open and neutral. Return only the reworded marked questions; I will place them in the saved guide. Do not add questions. Do not hint at leaving or promise anything. Marked questions and my notes: [paste the questions you marked and why].
Use: You
Read each question as the colleague would; ask Gemini to reword only the marked wording, changing only what you agree with, in the same chat.
The closing promises nothing.
Use: You
Read the guide aloud and check the notes sheet.
Nothing is promised or sent. You decide how to use it.
Best when: You want the guide and sheet in one go.
What it does: ChatGPT drafts; you check every line against your facts.
Strong at: Writes, rewrites and summarises text.
Limit: Free plan limits file uploads, so paste text instead.
Free plan: Yes, limited (images, voice, file uploads)
Best when: You want risky wording flagged first.
What it does: Claude lists themes and wording to avoid; you pick themes.
Strong at: Drafts and edits text; summarises documents.
Limit: Usage is capped in 5-hour and weekly windows.
Free plan: Yes, limited (usage capped in 5-hour and weekly windows)
Best when: You want a quick draft from checked notes.
What it does: Gemini drafts; you mark problem wording and check each line.
Strong at: Drafts and summarises text.
Limit: The free plan has usage limits
Free plan: Yes, limited
Before you paste into any AI tool, remove any confidential information. Put it back at the end.
Deciding between ChatGPT and Claude for this? See the comparison.
Every question is open and neutral, none hints at leaving or asks about private circumstances, the notes sheet keeps comments apart from promised actions, and you have read the whole guide aloud once.
You send, sign, pay and contact people yourself; the assistant prepares only.
Check the result against your original inputs. Approve it before sharing or acting.
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini pages were read signed out on 2026-10-28; paid plans and data use were not checked.