Context

Audience
People managers responsible for delivering feedback, coaching performance, and navigating complex employee conversations.

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Business Need
Managers were expected to coach effectively, yet many lacked opportunities to practice performance conversations in a safe environment. Traditional training provided guidance but limited rehearsal, resulting in anxiety, avoidance, or inconsistent execution in real conversations.

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Problem

• Managers lacked safe spaces to practice performance conversations

• Coaching skills were discussed but not rehearsed

• High-stakes conversations increased anxiety and avoidance

• Traditional learning formats could not simulate real dialogue

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Design challenge: Create a scalable way for managers to practice coaching behaviors before applying them in real situations.

Solution

CoCo – Coaching Collaborator was designed as an AI-powered coaching practice experience.

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The solution focused on:

• Providing realistic, conversational practice scenarios

• Allowing managers to rehearse responses and receive feedback

• Supporting repeated practice without judgment or risk

• Integrating seamlessly into existing performance enablement efforts

Rather than replacing human coaching, CoCo functioned as a practice companion—supporting skill-building through repetition and reflection.

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My Role

I led the creation of CoCo, including:

• Concept development and learning strategy

• Instructional design for AI-driven practice scenarios

• Prompt and experience design for coaching simulations

• Alignment to performance and manager enablement goals

• Iteration based on learning outcomes and manager feedback

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Instructional Design Approach

CoCo was designed using a practice-first instructional design philosophy, grounded in adult learning and behavior change principles.

Key design principles included:

• Practice over content consumption

• Immediate application and feedback loops

• Psychological safety for skill rehearsal

• Scenario-based learning aligned to real manager challenges

• Technology used intentionally to support learning—not novelty

Design question guiding decisions:
“How can managers practice coaching behaviors before they matter most?”

Learning Experience Structure

The CoCo experience was structured to enable repeatable, self-directed practice, including:

• Scenario-based coaching prompts

• Conversational interaction with AI

• Opportunities for reflection and iteration

• Alignment to real-world performance conversations

This structure allowed managers to build confidence through repetition—without scheduling constraints or risk to employee relationships.

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Outcomes & Impact

CoCo expanded the organization’s learning toolkit by:

• Introducing AI as a practical learning tool—not a novelty

• Increasing access to coaching practice opportunities

• Supporting manager confidence ahead of real performance conversations

• Demonstrating how emerging technologies can enhance learning effectiveness

What This Demonstrates

This project demonstrates my ability to:

• Apply AI intentionally to learning and performance challenges

• Design innovative learning experiences grounded in adult learning theory

• Translate emerging technologies into practical, scalable solutions

• Balance experimentation with rigor and learning outcomes