When you need to close the confidence gap on a high-stakes ask
The Move
Use AI as your prep partner. Simulate the conversation, anticipate objections, and rehearse your ask with data.
The Script
"I've prepared for this. Here's what I'm asking for, here's the evidence that supports it, and here's how it benefits [the team / the org / the outcome]."
Your AI Prompt
I need to make a high-stakes ask: [describe the ask]. Play the role of [the person I'm asking] and give me the three most likely objections. Then draft my response to each objection using data, not emotion. Finally, give me a confident opening line that anchors the conversation.
Why This Works
Brooks, Gino & Schweitzer (2015) found that anxiety undermines performance in high-stakes conversations, but reframing anxiety as excitement reverses the effect. Reif, Larrick & Soll (2025) showed that AI-augmented preparation systematically improves decision quality. Using AI to pre-game the hard conversation gives you the confidence of preparation, not the anxiety of improvisation.
Research Behind This Move
Don't Stop Believing: Rituals Improve Performance
Brooks, Gino & Schweitzer · Management Science · 2015
AI-Augmented Decision Making
Reif, Larrick & Soll · PNAS · 2025