# Module 03: Conversation as Interface
## Anti-Pattern: The Conversation That Goes Off the Rails

Show this to the room as a cautionary example. This is a real pattern that wastes time.

---

### The Scenario
A manager needs a quarterly performance review template.

### Turn 1
```
Write a performance review template.
```
_Claude produces a generic template._

### Turn 2
```
No, I don't like that. Make it better.
```
_Claude tweaks it slightly. Has no idea what "better" means._

### Turn 3
```
That's still not right. I want it to be more professional.
```
_Claude adjusts the tone. Still guessing._

### Turn 4
```
Can you make it shorter? And also add a section for goals.
```
_Claude shortens it and adds goals. But now the earlier sections feel rushed._

### Turn 5
```
Actually, forget all of that. Start over and make it good.
```
_Claude starts from scratch. All four turns of refinement are wasted. The new output has the same problem as Turn 1 because the input has the same problem as Turn 1._

---

## What Went Wrong

1. **"Make it better" gives Claude nothing.** Better how? More detailed? Shorter? More formal? More specific to a certain role?

2. **Contradictory instructions stacked up.** "More professional" then "shorter" then "add more" creates a tug of war.

3. **"Start over" erased all context.** Sometimes starting fresh is the right call. But here, the problem was never the output. The problem was the input.

4. **The manager never said what they actually needed.** Who is the review for? What level of employee? What does the company value? What rating scale do they use? Are there compliance requirements?

---

## The Fix

One prompt that would have worked from the start:
```
Create a quarterly performance review template for our company. We're a 200-person manufacturing firm. This template will be used by department managers reviewing individual contributors. It should include:
- A section for rating performance against 3-5 pre-set goals from the previous quarter
- A rating scale of 1-5 with clear definitions for each level
- A section for behavioral competencies (communication, teamwork, initiative)
- Space for manager narrative comments
- A forward-looking section where the manager and employee set goals for next quarter
- A signature/acknowledgment line

Keep it to two pages when printed. Professional tone but not corporate-speak. Our HR team needs to be able to customize this for different departments.
```

**Teaching point:** Five bad turns cost more time than one good prompt. Know what you need before you start the conversation. And when you refine, be specific about what's wrong and what "right" looks like.