Manager roleplay training that builds confident leaders
Managers practice their hardest conversations with Interactive Avatars, get coached in real time, and track progress with scored feedback.
You're cold-calling Marcus Lee, Head of Sales at a mid-sized company. He's naturally curious and will engage if something sounds relevant, but he won't commit to a meeting without a clear, concrete reason it's worth his time. Your goal: earn his attention, get past any brush-off, and book a follow-up meeting.
Trusted by over 50,000 companies
Practice hard conversations, then get coached and scored
Managers learn the theory in training. Roleplay Sessions is where they practice it, get coached, and get ready to lead.
Talk to a direct report who pushes back
Managers hold a real conversation with a lifelike Avatar that reacts in the moment, so a tough conversation actually feels tough. Every scenario is built around your teams, not a generic simulation.
An AI coach after every conversation
Every practice run ends with real coaching. The AI coach asks how the manager thinks it went, then talks through what landed, what didn't, and what to try next.
Measure and track progress across your teams
See how your management layer is improving, where the gaps still are, and which skills line up with retention and engagement, right down to the individual attempt and transcript.
Enterprise-grade security and compliance, built in
Everything your security team needs, already in place: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, 27701, and 42001, GDPR compliant, SSO and SCIM.
From passive manager training to practice that makes leaders ready
Before Roleplay Sessions
Managers practiced for the first time on real direct reports
Coaching was inconsistent, if it happened at all
Weak spots surfaced after people left
Training completion rarely made managers ready
After Roleplay Sessions
Managers practice hard conversations before they're real
Every manager gets consistent, on-demand coaching
Skill gaps surface early in analytics
Training turns into real, measurable skill
“Roleplay Sessions is helping us explore new ways of delivering practical, engaging learning experiences that enable our colleagues to practise, receive feedback and continue building their capabilities”
Tom Way
CEO, UK and Ireland at Hays
How manager roleplay training works
1. Create
Build a manager scenario in minutes, right inside the training video your managers already watch.
2. Practice
A manager steps into a real, back-and-forth conversation with an Avatar that pushes back like a real direct report. Retry as many times as you want, before it counts
3. Coach
Before any score, an AI coach asks the manager to reflect on how it went, then walks them through it, just like a real coach.
4. Measure
See which managers are improving, where the gaps are, and which skills move retention and engagement, right down to the individual attempt and transcript.
Built for the hard conversations managers face
Managers get a safe place to practice high-stakes conversations, get coached, and build confidence before it's real.
Giving difficult feedback
Practice turning uncomfortable feedback into a clear, constructive conversation that keeps trust intact.
Performance conversations
Work through underperformance, missed expectations, and improvement plans with an employee who pushes back.
Conflict and tension
Navigate disagreement, team friction, and emotional responses before the real conversation happens.
Restructuring and exits
Prepare for layoffs, role changes, and exits with empathy, clarity, and consistency under pressure.
Manager roleplay training FAQs
What is manager training with Roleplay Sessions?
Roleplay Sessions enables managers to practice their hardest conversations with a realistic AI direct report instead of learning on real people. A manager works through a scenario like a performance conversation or a piece of difficult feedback, and the Avatar responds and pushes back in real time.
How does manager roleplay training work?
A manager picks a scenario and has a live, spoken conversation with an AI direct report. The Avatar reacts in the moment, so the manager practices giving feedback, staying calm, and steering to a good outcome. When the conversation ends, an AI coach reflects with them and scores the attempt against a skills rubric. Managers can retry as often as they need, and L&D can track progress across the whole management layer. Thematic insights also surface recurring strengths and gaps across your teams.
What makes manager roleplay training effective?
It works because it combines the three things that actually build skill:
- Realistic practice
- Coaching
- Repetition
Managers rehearse real conversations instead of only watching training, a coach helps them reflect and shows them what to change, and they can practice as many times as they need until it feels natural. Because it is private and available on demand, managers actually use it, and you can see the improvement in the data.
How realistic is the AI direct report?
The direct report is a realistic Interactive Avatar that reacts to what the manager actually says, not a fixed script, so no two conversations play out the same way. It can get defensive, emotional, or evasive, and you can set its personality, mood, and how challenging it is to handle.
Do managers need a script or any setup to start?
No. There is no script and nothing to install. A manager opens the roleplay in their browser, on desktop or mobile web, turns on the mic, and starts the conversation. They sign in with their Synthesia login, including single sign-on, so every attempt and score maps to the right person.
How are managers scored?
Each conversation is scored against a skills rubric you control, built conversationally with Assistant or grounded in your own leadership frameworks and policies, covering the competencies that matter for the situation, such as clarity, empathy, staying calm under pressure, and agreeing next steps. Before the score appears, the coach asks the manager to reflect, then explains what went well and what to work on. Scores are tracked over time so improvement is visible.
Can I customize scenarios for my organization?
Yes. You can build scenarios around the situations your managers actually face, from performance conversations to restructuring. Managers can also personalize a scenario to a specific direct report, situation, and objections before they practice, and you set the direct report persona, their mood, the context, and the language, so the practice reflects your teams rather than a generic simulation
How does this fit with our existing leadership programs?
Roleplay Sessions sit within the programs you already run as the practice layer. Because it is part of the Synthesia platform, your leadership training videos and your practice live in one place, and you can push content to your learning management system with SCORM. It reinforces your existing development rather than replacing it.
What languages are manager roleplays available in?
Roleplays run in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, and Chinese, with more languages being added. Across the wider Synthesia platform you get 160+ languages, so the leadership training that sits around your roleplays can be built in whichever language a team needs.
Is it secure and compliant for enterprise use?
Yes. Roleplay Sessions ships enterprise-ready and covers the certifications security teams look for, including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, 27701, and 42001, along with GDPR compliance, SSO, and SCIM. It is the same platform that over 50,000 companies rely on, many of them in tightly regulated industries.
