Media IntelligenceHow MiQ leaders learn to say the hard thing
2×
more practice in the same live session
Faster
group debriefs with personalised takeaways
Rep by rep
from "felt good" to "do this"
“I thought I was being really clear. The avatar said: well, you're not — I don't understand what you want me to do. Even leading a team, that was a zing of feedback in the moment.”
The Challenge
MiQ's people managers are strong on culture, productivity, and the emotional side of coaching. The hard part is saying the hard truth on performance — naming the one thing someone needs to do differently, clearly and concisely, instead of hinting at it or circling it. And managers rarely get a safe place to rehearse that moment before it's a real person across the table. As Clare Martin puts it: "We promote people into management — and that's their first opportunity at conversations that impact the careers of other people, without a lot of time to practise."
The Solution
MiQ embedded Real Talk Studio inside its live leadership programme — not as an optional extra, but with specific tasks and a deadline. Mid-session, managers are sent off to practise a real coaching conversation against an AI partner that reacts, pushes back, and hands them an individual, unbiased report. The programme uses the GROW model, and the honest first reaction is part of the point.
“Most workplace training is fairly formulaic. With Real Talk Studio we can introduce something novel — and get our leaders applying it in real time.”
The Outcome
In a peer breakout each person gets one go. Sent off to the platform, every learner gets two — double the reps in the same live session. People return with one precise, personalised focus area from their report, so the group debrief gets to the core fast. Managers move past feeling good about a conversation to a concrete next step — then practise it again. Improvement compounds, rep by rep.