Hard conversations: what to say and how to practise it

The conversations that matter most are usually the ones we rehearse least. You get one attempt, with someone you care about, and the first sentence decides most of it.

Here you will find how to open, what to do when it goes sideways, and how to practise the whole thing safely before you have it for real.

Rehearse: Apologising for something specific Rehearse: Setting a boundary with a friend Rehearse: Hard conversation with a parent

Practice guides

How to Practise a Eulogy Without Crying on the DayEulogyCraft’s aloud-practice guidance supports a gradual plan for rehearsing a eulogy without treating tears as failure. Start with one low-emotion paragraph, then advance only when you can breathe normally, see the page, find the next line and continue. Mark two or three trigger sentences, shorten wording when the meaning survives, and practise a difficult word up to 10 times only if recovery remains easy. Build from silent reading to a paragraph, separate sections and one standing run; three to five full read-throughs are an optional ceiling, not a quota. At the lectern, stop, take four…

Guides and articles

DPIA for Voice AI Roleplay: University ChecklistA university careers service should approve voice-AI roleplay only after completing a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) when processing meets two or more high-risk criteria, such as evaluation, innovative technology, sensitive data, vulnerable students or access to opportunities. The approval record should map recording, transcription, model processing, scoring, feedback, retention, hosting and deletion, then assign each operation a controller or processor role, lawful-basis analysis and accountable owner. Keep the pilot formative: prohibit scores and transcripts from progression…