Interact WA

She stared at the floor for a moment after the roleplay ended. Then she looked up at me and smiled.

"That felt like therapy."

A few minutes earlier, she had stepped into a conversation she'd been carrying around for months. You know the one... The kind that follows you home. The one that pops into your head while you're driving, walking the dog, or trying to get to sleep.

Should I have it?
What do I say?
What if it goes badly?

In our Courageous Conversations Practice LAB, she finally said the words out loud. At first, they didn't land the way she intended. The character in front of her was dismissive. Defensive. Difficult.
She found herself reacting instead of staying connected to what she really wanted to say.

So she took a time out.
Reflected. Tried again. And again.

Each attempt brought her closer to her own values, her own message, and the leader she wanted to be in that moment.

She stopped performing the conversation and started having it. Afterwards I could see the relief on her face.

Whether she chooses to have the real conversation or not is almost beside the point.
She left feeling lighter.
Clearer.
More confident.

It feels like therapy, is something we hear more often in our Practice LABS. Because people aren't just practising communication skills. They're practising courage. They're practising how to regulate emotions under pressure. They're discovering how different personalities and behaviours affect them. Most importantly, they're finding their way through conversations before the stakes are real.

What conversation have you been rehearsing in your head that might benefit from a chance to practise it first?

A lot of leadership communication training stops at understanding.

People leave the room saying:
"That made sense."
"I know what I should do."
"I understand the model."

But what they're often thinking is:
🤔 But what if they react badly?
🤔 Or what if I get emotional?
🤔 And what if I get it wrong?

Too often, we leave learners to bridge that gap on their own. And that's where learning initiatives lose momentum.

Knowledge isn't behaviour.
Understanding isn't performance.

The journey looks more like this:
📚 Learning "I understand the concept."
⬇️
🎭 Practice "I've tried it, received feedback, and refined my approach."
⬇️
🚀 Performance "I can do it confidently when it matters."

At INTERACT WA, we specialise in the middle part.

Through realistic practice with our INTERACTORS, immediate feedback, reflection and repetition, people build the confidence to use new skills in real conversations, not just talk about them in a training room.

Because success isn't:
"That was a great workshop."

It's:
✅ "I had the conversation."
✅ "I handled it differently."
✅ "I used the skill at work."

What communication shift are you making this week? 💬

This week, our team ran four Practice LABS with staff from the WA Maritime Museum, focusing on de-escalation skills.

One thing we always keep in mind with this work is finding the right balance between challenging people and keeping it safe.

For staff to truly build their skills, the practice needs to feel real enough to create pressure, yet safe enough for them to step back, reflect, and give it another shot when emotions run too high.

That’s why we work with our professional INTERACTORS.

They’re not roleplay actors following a script, but trained professionals who can adjust the intensity, respond realistically, and help create learning moments that challenge without overwhelming.

When it comes to tough interactions, knowing what to do is only part of the story. Practising in a safe space is where real learning happens. 🌱

Last week, we facilitated a Practice LAB with the team at WesCEF, exploring what happens when values, vision, and purpose move beyond the posters on the wall… and into real conversations.

One thing that stood out is that most people know the values.
Far fewer have had the opportunity to actually practise communicating them in difficult, messy, real-world situations.

Organisations often invest heavily in defining values and strategy, but much less in helping people rehearse how those values and strategies sound and feel in everyday leadership conversations.

Kudos to the Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers team for embracing the practice with such openness, honesty, and courage. 👏

"Is this really a priority right now?”
“Do you want it done properly or just fast?”
“Have you actually looked at our workload?”

Some “questions” leaders get from their team… aren’t really questions.
They’re frustration… in disguise.

Because saying:

👉 “I’m overwhelmed”
👉 “This doesn’t feel realistic”
👉 “I’m not on board with this”

…can feel risky.

So it comes out as a question instead.
But here’s the catch. Those questions trigger an automatic response in many leaders to:

→ explain
→ justify
→ defend

And suddenly the conversation shifts away from what actually matters. And leaders end up solving the wrong problem.

In our Leadership LABS with our trained roleplayers, we help leaders practice something different: responding to the energy, not just the question.

“You sound a bit frustrated.”
“It feels like there’s more behind that. What’s going on?”
“What’s prompting that question?”

It slows things down.
Gets the real issue on the table.
And makes the conversation a whole lot easier.

Because you can answer the question…
…and still completely miss the point.

A behind-the-scenes moment while we were capturing video content for the new INTERACT WA website!

What we’ve been trying to capture isn’t just what we do…
It’s what it feels like to be in it.

The pause before someone responds.
The second attempt that lands better.
The subtle shift that changes everything.

That’s hard to explain in words.
So we didn’t try to.
We filmed it.

The new website is coming soon and for the first time, it shows the work as it actually happens.
Just real practice, with real people in real moments.

I’m excited to share it and curious to hear what you think when it’s live 👀

There was a different kind of education happening inside Fiona Stanley Hospital today.

More than 50 Serco leaders stepped out of the auditorium…and into real conversations.

As part of their Leadership Forum, we ran five different Practice LABS.

No slides.
No theory.
Just practice.

Each group stepped into a moment every leader recognises:

– Giving feedback that actually lands
– Managing performance
– Influencing stakeholders
– Thinking on your feet
– Leading when emotions run high

At first, there’s always a bit of hesitation. Careful wording. Playing it safe.

But then something shifts.

People realise this isn’t about getting it right the first time.
It’s a space to try, adjust… and try again.

Because leadership isn’t built by knowing what to say. It’s built by practising saying it. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.

And that’s the part we often skip.
We expect leaders to perform in high-stakes conversations… without ever giving them a safe space to rehearse.

Huge respect to the Serco leaders who leaned in, took risks, and did the work today 👏

A question I keep coming back to:

👉 Where in your organisation are leaders expected to get it right… without ever getting to practice first?

Today we kicked off the first of ten Practice LABS for our client Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. It was a great reminder of why role-playing with professional actors works so well.

When people practice conversations with coworkers, good intentions often get in the way of real learning.

But when they practice with professional role players, something different happens.

No performance.
No pretending.
Just real practice that sticks.

We’re excited to keep this series going and help people build confidence where it counts.

👉 Check out the 3 reasons to practice with actors instead of co-workers.