The Workplace Field Manual · Book 1 · BRACE Template
BRACE Corrective Conversation Planner
Plan the conversation before you have it. Work through each step of the BRACE sequence — Behaviour, Reason, Action, Check, Encourage — so the conversation is structured, calm and professional from the first word.
Write out what you will say for each step before the conversation. The more specific your planning, the calmer and more professional the conversation will be.
B
Behaviour — what specifically happened
State exactly what was observed — specific, factual, without interpretation or emotion. Include dates, times and specific examples. Never generalise ("you always…") — stick to what you saw or have documented.
The specific behaviour I observed
Supporting examples or documentation
R
Reason — why it matters
Explain the impact on the team, the operation and the standard. Connect the behaviour to a real operational consequence — not a rule for the sake of a rule. This is what gives the correction purpose beyond the personal.
Why this behaviour matters — the operational impact
A
Action — the required change
Define exactly what must change. Be specific — not "improve your punctuality" but "be ready to work at your designated start time every shift." No ambiguity about what is expected from this point forward.
The specific, observable change required
C
Check — confirm understanding
Do not ask "do you understand?" — this invites a one-word answer that proves nothing. Instead ask the person to confirm what the expectation is in their own words, and whether there is anything preventing them from meeting it.
How I will confirm genuine understanding
Follow-up date / check-in planned
E
Encourage — finish with confidence
End with a genuine statement of confidence in the person's ability to meet the standard. This is not false praise — it is a professional close that signals the conversation is about the work, not the person. The goal is compliance and improvement, not submission.
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