Navigating challenging conversations at work can be intimidating, but preparing for them doesn’t have to be. Thanks to LinkedIn Learning’s new AI-powered role-play feature, you can build the confidence and communication skills you need to handle these moments with clarity, empathy and professionalism.

Practice makes professional

Prepare for real-world conversations in a safe, interactive environment. The role-play feature lets you choose a common workplace scenario, then practice your response in a pressure-free space. Speak naturally, just like you would in a real conversation, and the AI will respond dynamically to what you say, creating an authentic back-and-forth that helps you refine your delivery.

Whether you’re leading a tough talk or supporting a teammate through a sensitive issue, you’ll gain hands-on experience that translates directly to the workplace.

Featured scenarios

Delivering a performance review

Learn how to give balanced feedback, recognize achievements and guide future development—all while keeping the conversation positive and productive.

• Review a high performer: Check in with a high performer and deliver lightweight feedback on how to keep stakeholders informed more proactively.
• Give feedback on priorities: An employee excels technically but struggles with prioritizing tasks and has missed several deadlines. Deliver this feedback and recommend frameworks for success.
• Set improvement goals: Have an annual review conversation with an employee who’s not meeting expectations and has missed key goals. Create a plan to motivate them to get back on track.

Giving feedback to a colleague

Tackle tough truths with tact. Practice offering constructive feedback to the AI in a way that builds trust, encourages growth and maintains strong working relationships.

• On speaking too much in meetings: Provide quick feedback to a colleague who interrupts others in meetings and help them create space for quieter team members.
• On poor presentation skills: A colleague  is struggling to prepare for a presentation. Provide empathetic feedback to help improve their presentation skills.
• On accountability: A key cross-functional partner has missed several deadlines and is delivering poor work, affecting the team’s progress on a critical project. Determine the root cause and collaborate on a path forward.

Promoting work-life balance

Help your team set healthy boundaries and model sustainable work habits. This role play helps you approach conversations about burnout, time off and wellness with empathy and insight.

• Approve a vacation request: A new hire asks for two weeks off and wants to ensure their absence won’t affect the team’s progress. Approve this request and make sure their coverage plan is solid.
• Give flexibility for personal issues: A team member is struggling to maintain their usual availability due to personal issues. Work with them to find a compromise that works for them and the team
• Address burnout: An employee has been taking on extra work but it’s starting to affect their wellbeing and productivity. Understand what drives them and explore solutions to manage burnout.

Get feedback, not judgment

After each role play, you’ll receive AI-driven feedback that highlights what you did well and offers actionable suggestions for improvement. It’s like having a personal communication coach — available 24/7.

Want more lifelike practice? You can edit the AI’s personality to match the tone, attitude or difficulty level of someone you might actually talk to at work. Whether it’s a defensive team member or a distracted manager, you can tailor the experience to fit your real-world challenges.

Best of all, your role-play transcripts are private. They won’t be shared with UCOP or other LinkedIn members, so you can learn, make mistakes and grow with confidence.

How this training will benefit you

Strong communication is one of the most sought-after skills in today’s workplace. Yet, it’s also one of the hardest to practice, especially for high-stakes conversations. With LinkedIn Learning’s role play feature, you can turn awkward moments into career-building opportunities, all in a low-pressure, high-impact environment.

Ready to strengthen your communication skills?
Start role-playing on LinkedIn Learning today and turn your next challenging conversation into your best one yet!

For questions, contact ucopld@ucop.edu.

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