Practice Hard Conversations,
Master Soft Skills

Quick-Start Scenario Bundles

• Interpersonal Conduct & Relationships

  1. Office Romance Break-Up (5-7 min)
     Two coworkers who dated and then split up now refuse to collaborate - how do you salvage project timelines without prying into private wounds?
     
     
  2. Promotion Pass‑Over Fallout (6-8 min)
     A long‑tenured employee was overlooked for a promotion and is now disengaged and vocal about perceived favoritism. How do you re‑energize this employee?
     
     
  3. Political Expression on Group Chat (4-6 min)
     Employees post heated election memes in #general - how do you safeguard free speech while preventing a toxic echo chamber?
     
     
  4. Workplace Bullying Allegation (4-6 min)
     A junior team member claims their superior routinely humiliates them in meetings - how do you investigate swiftly without presuming guilt or dampening open critique culture?
     
     
  5. Consultant Hostility (4-6 min)
     An external consultant publicly calls the team “amateurs” in kickoff - how do you protect morale while still extracting value from the engagement?
     
     
  6. Personal Hygiene Conversation (3-4 min)
     Several teammates privately complain about a colleague’s persistent body odor - how do you raise the topic with dignity and respect?
     
     
  7. Parking-Spot Dispute (3-4 min)
     A team member is upset about fighting with a colleague over the lone EV-charger space - how do you mediate equitably without installing new chargers?
     
     
  8. Romantic Relationship Disclosures (5-7 min)
     A team member tells you they’re dating a coworker. How do you respect their privacy while applying anti-favoritism safeguards so the rest of the team keeps trusting you?

• Performance & Recognition

  1. Feedback Rejection (4-6 min)
     A junior engineer melts down after receiving what you believe was constructive feedback - how do you handle the conversation in a way that doesn’t chill future candor.
     
     
  2. Performance Dips (6-8 min)
     A top performer’s output collapses and they hint at depression but resist formal help. Your goal: Balance empathy, legal obligations, and delivery timelines.
     
     
  3. Claiming Unearned Credit (4-6 min)
     A colleague presented your work as their own in front of leadership. How do you confront them to restore credit without appearing petty or poisoning future collaboration?
     
     
  4. Public Shaming (4-6 min)
     A manager berates a junior colleague in a company-wide Slack or messaging channel for a missed deadline - how do you repair the damage their manager while still reinforcing accountability?
     
     
  5. Ultimatum for a Pay Raise (4-6 min)
     A high performer threatens to quit unless given a 20% raise - how do you deny the request without hurting morale and risking their departure?
     
     
  6. Mandatory Overtime Mandate (5-7 min)
     After leadership decrees weekend work to hit a deadline and ignites pushback, how do you secure commitment without crushing morale or violating labor laws?
     
     
  7. Team-Wide Burnout Spike (6-8 min)
     Across the board, productivity is dropping and sick days rising - how do inspire a discourage team member without sacrificing Q3 targets?
     
     
  8. PTO Denial Backlash (3-5 min)
     During crunch time, you have to deny an exhausted colleague’s vacation request - how do you balance business needs while navigating burnout risk?

• Inclusion, Bias & Belonging

  1. Microaggressions (5-7 min)
     A female colleague reports she is routinely talked over by male teammates in weekly stand-ups. How do you intervene to secure her voice and model inclusive norms?
     
     
  2. Uncomfortable Remarks (4-6 min)
     During brainstorming, a teammate mocked another colleague’s accent. How do you address the bias firmly enough to deter repeats yet keep the offender receptive rather than defensive?
     
     
  3. Ideological Clashes (3-4 min)
     A co-worker claims a colleague taunts him about his political views, polarizing the team and skirting harassment policy. How best to mediate so free expression survives while hostility stops and unity returns?
     
     
  4. Religious Accommodation Requests (4-6 min)
     An engineer asks for daily prayer breaks that clash with critical stand-ups - how do you honor faith needs while keeping sprint velocity intact?
     
     
  5. Religious Expression Clash (4-6 min)
     A desk now displays a large, flashing verse of scripture - how do you balance freedom of expression with colleagues’ comfort in shared space?
     
     
  6. Diversity Hiring Pushback (4-6 min)
     A seasoned engineer says diversity goals “lower the bar” - how do you champion inclusive hiring while preserving technical rigor perceptions?
     
     
  7. Culture-Fit (4-6 min)
     A new hire’s brilliance comes with abrasive humor some find offensive - how do you coach adaptation without stifling their spark?
     
     

  8. Holiday-Party Misconduct (5-7 min)

     You pull an intoxicated manager aside at the company gala after what many would consider an offensive joke - what do you say?

• Sexual Harassment Reporting

  1. Bystander Report (5-7 min)
     A junior engineer asks to speak in confidence about witnessing a team lead repeatedly making lewd jokes - what do you say next?
     
     
  2. Unclear Intent (4-6 min)
     A new hire comes into your office and says she's unsure whether a senior’s lingering hugs are “just friendly” or harassment - how do you validate her feelings and decide next steps without jumping to conclusions?
     
     
  3. Allegation Against Star Performer (6-8 min)
     A salesperson claims a colleague is sending inappropriate text after hours - how do you balance due process with the need to keep the accuser safe?
     
     
  4. Past Incident Disclosure (4-6 min)
     An employee reveals harassment that happened a year ago but fears it’s “too late” to act - how do you reassure them and assess the viability of an investigation?
     
     
  5. Cultural Misunderstanding Claim
     A female employee comes in to say she's uncomfortable with the frequent compliments a male colleague give her about her attire and looks. He says it's normal in his culture. The recipient feels harassed -  how do you handle this?
     
     
  6. Witness Refuses to Corroborate (4-6 min)
     A potential witness to a sexual harassment situation enters your office and won’t confirm the harassment “to avoid drama” - how do you encourage cooperation without coercion?
     
     
  7. Subtle Power Dynamic (5-7 min)
     An employee says a VP’s repeated lunch invites feel coercive - how do you discuss with the VP who says no explicit advances were made?
     
     
  8. Harassment Outside Office Hours (4-6 min)
     An employee reports a manager’s late-night personal texts - how do you assert jurisdiction over conduct that occurs off the clock but stems from work hierarchy?
     
     
  9. Cross-Gender Mentorship Hesitation (3-4 min)
     A male exec. avoids one-on-one coffees with junior women after #MeToo - how do you champion inclusive mentorship without dismissing his worries?

   

• Ethics & Fairness

  1. Accidentally Disclosed Information (5-7 min)
     An internal pay spreadsheet is accidentally circulated, exposing salary disparities. How do you quell outrage and discuss equity transparently without eroding trust?
     
     
  2. Substance-Abuse Suspicion (5-7 min)
     A teammate’s erratic behavior suggests possible drug use on the job - how do you intervene compassionately yet protect workplace safety?
     
     
  3. Side-Hustle PTO Abuse (3-5 min)
     An employee uses sick days to freelance for a competitor - how do you address integrity breaches and recoup lost productivity?
     
     
  4. Inappropriate Gift (3-5 min)
     A vendor sends an expensive bottle of whiskey to a nondrinking employee - how do you manage perceived favoritism and personal discomfort?
     
     
  5. Whistleblower Fear (5-7 min)
     An employee flags a safety violation but worries about retaliation - how do you act decisively while shielding their identity and career?
     
     
  6. Nepotism Complaint (4-6 min)
     A team member suspects a manager favored their cousin for promotion - how do you respond fairly while preserving confidence in meritocracy?
     
     
  7. Threatened Discrimination Lawsuit (6-8 min)
     An employee claims bias in promotion decisions and mentions legal counsel - how do you respond swiftly to assess risk and assure fairness?
     
     
  8. Remote-Onsite Pay Disparity (5-7 min)
     An onsite staff member discovers remote peers earn more for the same role - how do you justify pay philosophy without prompting a resignation?

   

• Boundary Setting (Excluding Sexual Harassment)

  1. After-Hours Boundary Violations (4-6 min)
     Your boss pings at midnight expecting immediate replies - how do you defend boundaries without looking uncommitted?
     
     
  2. Intern Overreach (3-4 min)
     A confident intern bypasses protocol and emails the CEO with product ideas - how do you coach ambition into proper channels without crushing zest?
     
     
  3. Personal Errands Request (3-5 min)
     A director asks you to drop off their dry-cleaning “since you’re heading that way”-how do you refuse politely while maintaining rapport?
     
     
  4. Camera-On Mandate (4-6 min)
     You are uncomfortable being on video all day, but your boss says cameras must stay on - how do you negotiate a balance between engagement and privacy?
     
     
  5. Constant Desk Drop-Ins (3-4 min)
     A chatty coworker pops by every 20 minutes, derailing your focus-how do you set limits with that colleague without hurting the relationship?
     
     
  6. Meeting Time Overruns (3-5 min)
     A senior VP habitually runs 30 minutes past the slot, wrecking everyone’s schedule-how do you address their tardiness while respecting hierarchy?
     
     
  7. Social-Media Tagging Consent (4-6 min)
     A teammate posts a candid photo of you at work on LinkedIn without asking-how do you request its removal and set boundaries for future posts?
     
     
  8. Workspace Noise Dispute (3-4 min)
     A colleague insists on speakerphone calls at their desk-how do you ask for quieter habits without sparking hostility?
     
     
  9. Calendar Overbooking (4-6 min)
     A project manager has just blocked your calendar for standing meetings during your protected focus hours - how do you reclaim the time while staying aligned on deliverables?

• Organizational Change

  1. Return‑to‑Office Mandate (4‑6 min)
     Leadership announces all employees must be on‑site three days a week starting next month - how do you motivate compliance without losing remote‑work talent?
     
     
  2. Greenwashing Accusation (3-5 min)
     An employee criticizes leadership’s Earth Day post as empty virtue signaling - how do you defend sustainability efforts without silencing dissent?
     
     
  3. AI Job-Security Panic (4-6 min)
     A direct report says rumors are swirling that new AI tools will halve headcount - how do you convey strategy while calming existential dread?
     
     
  4. Reorg Role Redundancy Alert (4‑6 min)
     Two similar positions emerge after a change of leadership, and both incumbents lobby to keep theirs - how do you decide fairly without triggering political fallout?
     
     
  5. Compensation‑Model Overhaul (5‑7 min)
     Annual bonuses shift to team‑based rewards, unsettling high performers - how do you sell the change without demotivating individual contributors?
     
     
  6. Experimentation Budget Freeze (5‑7 min)
     Accounting pauses discretionary spending, stalling innovation pods - how do you preserve a test‑and‑learn culture with zero extra funds?
     
     
  7. Layoff Rumor Rebuttal (4‑6 min)
     A team member corners you about whispers of layoffs - how do you provide reassurance while acknowledging what you don’t yet know?
     
     
  8. Wellness‑Budget Reallocation (5‑7 min)
     The organization cancels free lunches to fund mental‑health stipends instead - how do you communicate the trade‑off so employees feel valued, not short‑changed?