The Practice Room
Practise difficult conversations at work
Say it badly here first, so you say it well when it counts.
You know the conversation is coming. You’ve run it in your head on the drive in, and it goes fine every time, because the other person never answers back. Here they do. You get to find your words with someone who deflects, goes quiet or pushes back, and nobody you work with ever hears the first try.
Pick it. Practise it. Hear what to say instead.
- Up to eight turns, about five minutes
- Feedback from our AI coach on what you actually said
- Your first short go at each conversation is free, no account. Pro, the full rehearsal, is 6 credits
New supervisor
Six conversations most new supervisors meet in their first year, from the one who’s stopped trying to the news nobody wants.
Reviews and one-to-ones
Six conversations managers meet at review time, from the one who thinks it was a great year to the goals nobody wants.
Talking to your manager
Ten conversations with your manager, from a day off tomorrow to a pay rise, with a manager on the other side who has pressures of their own.
Personality colours
Four rooms, one per colour. Practise talking to a Red, Yellow, Green or Blue their way, not yours.
Practice for reflection, not legal or HR advice. If it involves harassment, discrimination, health or safety, talk to HR or ACAS.
How it works
- Pick the conversation. Each one is an everyday situation from shops, warehouses and shift work, with one person on the other side who has their own reasons.
- Talk it through. Type what you’d say. They answer the way people do: they deflect, go quiet, or open up when you get it right. Up to eight turns.
- Hear how it went. Our AI coach reads the whole conversation and tells you what worked, where it slipped, what to say instead and the one thing to practise. Then try it again.
What we keep: nothing you typed. Your conversation stays in your browser and goes to our AI coach only to write the next reply and your feedback. Use a made-up name for the person you’re thinking of.
Want to rehearse it until you’re ready?
The free go shows you where the conversation slips. Practice Room Pro is for the one that really matters, when you want to walk in having already got it right once.
- Two full rehearsals: up to 20 turns each, out loud or typed
- On the second, a hint from the coach after each reply
- Your own best lines on a card to take in with you
6 credits for both rehearsals. Each further go with hints is 2 credits.
A go with Martin: the starter line, his voice, the report, your words card and a coach hint.
It’s in every room. Have your free go first, then choose “Rehearse it out loud” on the start card or at the end of your feedback.
Reading before the conversation
- The Difficult Conversation Script: A 5R ApproachA simple shape for the conversation you’ve been putting off.
- How to Give Feedback That Lands (Without the Sandwich)Say what you saw, what it caused and what you need next.
- The New Manager Checklist: Your First 30 DaysListen, map, clarify, align. Week by week.
Questions people ask
Is it free?
Your first go at each conversation is free, feedback included, with no sign-up. After that, each new go, including trying the same one again, uses one Ask BOM credit. Practice Room Pro, the full rehearsal, is never free: it’s 6 credits for two long goes.
Who am I talking to?
An AI playing one person in the situation. Each character has a short brief: who they are, what’s going on for them and what they won’t say until you earn it. They’re written as everyday composites from shops, warehouses and shift work, not real people.
What happens to what I type?
Nothing is stored. The conversation lives in your browser while you practise and goes to our AI coach to write each reply and your feedback, then it’s gone. Please leave out real names, your employer and anything that could identify someone.
Is this instead of talking to HR?
No. It’s for practising your words, not for deciding what’s allowed. If the situation involves harassment, discrimination, health, safety or a formal process, talk to HR or your manager first. In the UK, ACAS has free advice.
What is Practice Room Pro?
The full rehearsal for one conversation. You get two long goes, up to 20 turns each, out loud or typed, a hint from the coach after each reply on the second, a full report and your own best lines on a card to take in with you. It’s 6 credits for both goes, and you’ll find it in every room after your free first go.
How is this different from asking a chatbot to role-play?
Each character has a brief built for one situation, so they react to what you actually say instead of agreeing with you. The feedback is written against what good looks like in that conversation, and it points you to the BOM article that helps most.
Credits are the same as Ask BOM credits: packs from 10 for £3 to 100 for £20, and one code works across every coach tool on the site. Full refund within 14 days if you haven’t used a credit. Anything wrong, email [email protected]. How credits work