How New Managers Can Run Their First Difficult Performance Conversation

New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics · Jul 10, 2026 · 11m · transcript

Episode 106 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo tackles the most daunting moment of the first 90 days: the first difficult performance conversation. Lucas and Luna break down a real-world case — a new manager named Priya who must address declining output from a ten-year veteran named Raj. They walk through the five-minute prep framework, the conversation structure that reduces defensiveness, and the follow-up process that turns critique into change. The episode includes specific language scripts, a distinction between coaching and managing out, and guidance on what to do if the employee…