Manager conversation practice
Difficult conversations for managers, rehearsed out loud.
Deliver a PIP, a low rating, a termination or a layoff to an AI employee who disputes every point, goes silent or bargains for severance. Then see the riskiest line you said, quoted, and what to say instead.
15 rounds free (a round is one exchange with your opponent).
- No credit card to start
- Try it free before you pay
- Audio is never stored — only your transcript, for you
- Cancel in one click
Built by Matthew, a solo founder. Something not working? Email support@getadversaryai.com and I read every message.
See it in action
A hard conversation, start to finish
- You set up the conversation. Who it is with and how they will react. You open the meeting.
- It pushes back, out loud. Answer by voice or type. The opponent follows up on what you actually said.
- You get a scorecard. Your score, the line that cost you most, and what to say instead.
This is a screen recording of the real app with a sample session. Turn the sound on.
How a session works
Three steps, a few minutes
- Set up the meeting. Pick the conversation: a review rating lower than they expect, a PIP, a termination for performance, a layoff, behavior feedback, or declining a raise or promotion. Describe the employee and what you have documented, and add any limits HR gave you.
- Pick how they react, then open. Defensive, tearful, angry, silent, or a negotiator. You called the meeting, so you speak first. Choose 4, 8 or 12 exchanges, or keep going until you end it.
- Get the scorecard. Scored on Clarity of the decision, Evidence & consistency, Legal & policy safety, and Humanity & next steps, with the riskiest line you said and the words to use instead.
Pick the meeting
The talks managers put off
Sample scorecard
The riskiest line you said, quoted
“No, no. Though to be honest, the team did struggle while you were out.”
When they asked whether this was about their leave, you answered, then kept talking and tied the two together. The employee said they would remember it.
Try instead: “No. This plan is about the quota results we covered in two coaching sessions and the written warning in March. Here is what the next 60 days look like.”
Free sessions show your score, the bars, your #1 priority and one missed moment with a better line. Any pack or plan unlocks every moment and your next drill.
What the employee will try
- “Is this because I took medical leave?” The employee asks questions that test whether your reason stays the same. If you say something risky about leave, age, health or another protected characteristic, such as tying the decision to it, the scorecard caps Legal & policy safety at 2 and quotes the line.
- “Why wasn't I told before?” If the problem is documented, say where and when. Vague answers get pressed, and on Hard the employee circles back to earlier answers to catch inconsistencies.
- “I'm going to HR. Who signed off on this?” The angry employee calls it unfair and threatens HR or a lawyer. Blaming HR or apologizing for the decision costs you points. A calm decision you own does not.
- Severance, a reference, resigning instead. The negotiator pushes for each one, plus more time and a later end date, and tests whether you promise more than you can. Put HR's limits in the setup and the employee pushes against them without knowing what they are.
- Tears, then silence. The tearful employee asks what they did wrong and what to tell their family. The silent one says only “okay” and “fine” until you ask a direct, patient question.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Will the AI employee actually push back?
Yes. You choose the reaction: defensive, tearful, angry (threatens HR or a lawyer), silent, or a negotiator who bargains for severance, a reference and timing. The employee goes through stages: shock first, then pushback, then acceptance or escalation depending on how you handle it. Easy, Normal and Hard set how much it takes to get to acceptance.
Is this legal or HR advice?
No. It is practice for saying the words, not legal or HR advice. The scorecard grades how you delivered the decision, not whether the decision was right. Follow your company's policy, and leave the decision itself and the paperwork to your HR team.
Who speaks first, and how long is a session?
You do, because you called the meeting. Pick 4, 8 or 12 exchanges, or open-ended and end it yourself. If you run a set length to the end, the employee's last reply closes the meeting: they accept and ask a logistics question, leave angry and say what they will do, or bargain once more.
Do I have to use my employee's real details?
No. You describe the role, tenure and documented history in your own words, and you can leave names out. Voice works in Chrome, Edge and Safari, and you can type anywhere. Audio is never stored; your transcript is kept for you.
Can I practice a conversation that isn't about performance?
Yes. Behavior feedback (attitude, lateness, conflict with a teammate) is one of the six options here. For anything else, like a hard talk with a peer, a co-founder or your own boss, use the Difficult Conversations mode, where you describe the situation and the other person yourself.
What does it cost?
Your first 15 rounds are free with no card. After that: Debater is $12 a month for 300 rounds, Coach is $29 for 750, Champion is $49 for 500 premium rounds plus 60 minutes of photoreal video opponents, and Elite is $100 for 1,000 premium rounds and 2 hours of video. Round packs are $9 for 100, $19 for 250 and $39 for 600, and pack rounds never expire. Teams and departments pay $15 per seat a month, schools $6.
Rehearse the conversation free
15 rounds free. No credit card. Round packs from $9 that never expire; plans from $12 a month.
Rehearse the conversation free