Describe the situation, rehearse it against a realistic AI employee, get personalised feedback, and walk into the real conversation more prepared.
$59, paid once. Not a subscription.
Hey, thanks for making time. I wanted to check in on how things have been going lately.
Yeah, fine I think? Is something wrong?
No, nothing major. I've just noticed some of the deadlines have been a bit loose recently.
A bit loose? I've been covering two people's work since Priya left. If something slipped, that's why.
“A bit loose” gave Daniel nothing to act on, so he filled the gap with his own explanation.
Tell us what's happening, what needs to change, and what you're worried about.
Have a realistic back-and-forth with an AI employee who reacts based on the situation.
Receive specific feedback on what you did well, where you were unclear, and what to improve.
Repeat the conversation with a better approach until you feel prepared.
You type what you would really say. The employee answers the way that employee would really answer. When you’re done, the scorecard grades what you actually said — not what a management textbook says.
Let me be more specific. The last three sprint tickets came in after the Thursday cutoff — the 4th, the 11th and the 18th — and I didn’t hear from you before any of them.
Okay. That’s fair, I didn’t realise it was three in a row. The Priya coverage is still real though.
It is, and we’ll deal with the workload separately. What I need from you is a message on Wednesday when a Thursday date is at risk.
“Going forward I need the ticket in by Thursday 5pm, or a message from you on Wednesday if that’s not going to happen.”
Seven scored criteria: clarity, directness, specificity, empathy, handling pushback, expectation setting, next steps.
$59
One-time purchase
Not a subscription. Pay once, keep access to the Lab, the playbook, the templates and every practice session you save.
This is for managers in their first two years, holding an issue they know they need to raise: the missed deadlines, the lateness, the attitude in meetings, the performance that hasn’t moved since the last time you mentioned it.
You don’t need another framework. You need a rehearsal, honest feedback, and a second attempt — before the version that counts.
First Manager Conversation Lab is a communication practice and manager-development product. It is not employment-law advice, legal advice, or HR compliance guidance, and it is not a replacement for your HR partner. For anything involving policy, discipline, protected characteristics, or termination, talk to HR.