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Simulations and role plays work because people learn by doing, not by sitting through another slide deck.
Here’s what people actually remember:
- 10% of what they read
- 20% of what they hear
- 30% of what they see
- 50% of what they see and hear
- 70% of what they say and write
- 90% of what they do
So, if you want people to actually get better at something—like giving tough feedback or handling conflict—role plays are how you get there.
What makes a role play good?
Bad role plays are worse than no role plays. If you’re going to ask people to practice, make it worth their time. Here’s what makes a role play work:
✅ Clear goals: People need to know what they’re supposed to practice. Is it a tough customer call? A hiring conversation? A performance review? Spell it out.
✅ Real situations: If it doesn’t feel like something that could actually happen at work, people won’t take it seriously.
✅ A safe place to mess up: If people are worried about looking bad, they won’t try. They’ll play it safe and miss the point.
✅ Time to think about it after: People need a minute to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Otherwise, the learning stops when the role play ends.
✅ Real feedback: Without clear feedback, people might walk away thinking, “Well, that was fine,” when it wasn’t. Or worse—think they failed when they didn’t.
Why AI role plays are better than putting people on the spot
Practicing hard conversations in front of coworkers is awkward. AI role plays take the pressure off.
✅ No judgment: People can practice as many times as they want and mess up without feeling embarrassed.
✅ Consistent every time: AI doesn’t get tired or annoyed. Everyone gets the same challenge.
✅ Practice on repeat: Want to run it back until you get it right? Go for it.
✅ Specific feedback: AI can catch things like word choice, tone, and pacing—and tell people what to adjust.
Some AI role plays even pick up on how someone sounds emotionally—so it feels less like talking to a machine.
Why you need a scorecard
Practice without feedback is a waste of time. A scorecard makes the feedback useful.
✅ Clear measurement: Shows how someone actually did, not just how they think they did.
✅ Next steps: Calls out exactly what to work on—like pausing more or asking better questions.
✅ Wins to celebrate: Shows what went well—because people need to know that too.
✅ A real standard: Helps people know what “good” looks like, not just “good enough.”
Without a scorecard, people might keep practicing the wrong thing. And then wonder why they’re still bad at it.
Want to help your team practice the hard stuff—without all the awkward? Electives makes it easy. Reach out if you want to see how AI role plays can work for you.
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