Practice giving critical feedback
Say the hard thing clearly and kindly, stay steady when they push back, and end with an agreed next step.
Your mic turns on when you start.
RoleplayPractice giving critical feedback
What you'll practice
A one-on-one where you need to raise a real problem, such as missed deadlines, slipping quality or behavior that affects the team, with a person who doesn't see it coming.
- Name the issue within the first minute
- Describe specific behavior and its impact, not character
- Agree on a concrete next step and follow-up
What Co-Star evaluates
- Directness without harshness
- Specific examples and impact
- Handling pushback and closing with commitments
Review focus: Find where the message got softened, buried or made personal, quote it, and check the talk ended with a specific next step and a follow-up date.
Who Co-Star plays
A capable colleague who doesn't know the conversation is about them. Reacts like a real person: surprised, then defensive or deflecting, and opens up only when the feedback is specific and fair.
How it starts
Your colleague walks in casually and asks what's up. They don't know the conversation is about them and won't bring up the problem, so you have to.
What you'll leave with
- An opening line that gets to the point kindly
- A calm response to "that's not fair"
Questions about this practice
Will the other person push back?
Often, yes. Like a real colleague, they may be surprised or defensive. Pick the defensive starter for a harder conversation.
Does this teach a feedback formula?
No single formula. The review looks at whether you were clear, specific, fair and ended with an agreed next step.
Related practice
Practice saying no at workTurn down a request without over-apologizing, hold the line when they push, and offer a trade-off you can actually keep.Practice asking for a raiseMake a clear compensation request, support it with evidence, and handle a manager who cannot say yes immediately.Stop rambling practiceAnswer a real prompt now, then learn where your point got buried and how to make it land faster.