Difficult Conversations for Managers
Interactive AI role-play training for managers. Practice giving feedback, addressing performance, and handling terminations with simulated employees who react like real people.
View badge details
About This Course
The conversations you dread but can't avoid. Practice giving tough feedback, addressing performance issues, and having honest discussions with AI employees who react like real people. Progress from a missed deadline conversation through underperformance and toxic behavior to the most difficult conversation of all termination. Each lesson features a unique AI employee with realistic emotions, defenses, and reactions. Receive real-time coaching on directness, empathy, specificity, and professional boundaries.
Course Curriculum
4 Lessons
The Missed Deadline
Practice giving constructive feedback to a generally good employee who missed two sprint deadlines. Focus on specificity, curiosity about root causes, and balancing positive recognition with accountability.
The Underperformer
Practice a formal performance conversation with a CSM whose metrics have declined for 3 months. Navigate deflection, handle emotions, and set clear expectations with consequences.
The Toxic Star
Practice addressing toxic behavior from a high-performing senior developer. Hold your ground when they use their value as leverage, focus on behaviors not personality, and set enforceable consequences.
The Termination
Validate your management skills with no coaching. Deliver a termination decision with empathy and professionalism while an employee cycles through denial, anger, bargaining, and sadness.
This course includes:
- 24/7 AI Instructor Support
- Live Lab Environments
- 0 Hands-on Lessons
- Completion Badge
Earn Your Badge
Complete all lessons to unlock the Difficult Conversations for Managers achievement badge.
Difficult Conversations for Managers
Awarded for completing the Difficult Conversations for Managers course. Certifies proficiency in directness, empathy, specificity, de-escalation, and professional boundaries through AI-simulated management scenarios from feedback to termination.
Skills You'll Earn
Complete all lessons in this course to earn this badge