Practise this conversation
How to explain a meets expectations rating to someone who expected more
Practise the review before the review.
Carol is waiting for you
Before you go in
Carol opened up most mornings at six for four months while the other key holder was off. Her own jobs slipped, so her rating is "meets expectations", with the standard pay rise. She’s expecting more, and the review is this afternoon.
Good luck.
Your goal
Thank Carol properly for the four months of cover, and help her see why the rating is meets and what exceeds would take.
Up to 8 turns, about five minutes, then feedback from our AI coach. Your first go at this conversation is free. After that, one credit a go (packs from £3).
Want the full rehearsal? (Pro, 6 credits for both)
What you’ll practise
- Recognising the extra she did, specifically, before you talk about the rating.
- Explaining what "meets" means and what "exceeds" would need, in plain words.
- Agreeing something real: the cover written into her review and what changes next year.
Your goal
Your free go at this one is used
One credit runs the whole conversation
Each new go costs one credit: a full conversation with Carol and the coach’s feedback. Your free go at the other conversations is still there.
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What worked
Where it slipped
Say this instead
One thing to practise
Read next
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Ready for the real one?
Rehearse it with Carol until you’re ready
Practise the conversation until it feels like the second time, not the first, and walk in with your best words.
- 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
With the Best value pack (50 credits), 6 credits is about £1.45 · $1.90 · €1.70 · A$2.90. After that, one more go with hints is 2 credits. Private: use made-up names, and nothing you say is kept.
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. The feedback is written by AI from your conversation and is a second pair of eyes, not a verdict on you.
Practice for reflection, not legal or HR advice. If it involves harassment, discrimination, health or safety, talk to HR or ACAS.
The full picture
Carol has been at the store fifteen years and a key holder for eight. She's reliable, knows every regular by name and never lets you down. This year, when the other key holder was off for four months, Carol opened up most mornings at six on top of her own shifts.
Her rating for the year is "meets expectations". It's fair: her own jobs, the stock counts and the training records, slipped while she was covering, and the scale saves "exceeds" for going beyond the role in ways the store can measure. It also means the standard pay rise, not the bigger one. She's told a colleague she's expecting more. The review is this afternoon.
Why it's hard
She did go above and beyond, and the rating doesn't say so. If you defend the number first, she'll hear that the early mornings didn't count. If you apologise for it, she'll hear that it's unfair and you agree. The real gap is often not the rating but the thank you that never came. The skill is recognising what she did, specifically and properly, explaining what "meets" means and what "exceeds" would take, and not changing the rating just to make the moment easier.
42% of managers say they know what they want to say in a difficult conversation, but struggle with how to say it.
The Predictive Index, 2026 AI and People Leadership Survey (399 managers and 208 business leaders, July 2026)What usually goes wrong, and what you'll practise
What usually goes wrong
- Defending the rating before acknowledging what she did, so the cover feels invisible.
- Apologising for the rating, so it sounds unfair and you agree with her.
- Promising to change it, or hinting at next year, to end the awkward moment.
What you'll practise
- Recognising the extra she did, specifically, before you talk about the rating.
- Explaining what "meets" means and what "exceeds" would need, in plain words.
- Agreeing something real: the cover written into her review and what changes next year.
Read before you practise
Questions people ask
What if I think the rating is wrong?
Then raise it with whoever signs the ratings off before the review, not during it. Don't tell the person it's unfair and then leave it as it is.
Can I talk about pay in the review?
Say what you're allowed to say. If the pay rise follows the rating, be clear about that. If you can't discuss the detail, say so plainly rather than being vague.
Credits here are 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