One of your best people is struggling. You can feel it. HR says it's not your problem. You know better than that.
Part of
Mental Health Conversations →
From checking in on a colleague who seems off, to telling your manager you are burning out, to supporting a friend in crisis — practice the conversations that most people avoid until it is too late.
Skills you'll build
What happens in this story4 scenarios
Your best performer missed two deadlines this month. Their work is slipping and their energy is wrong. You notice — but noticing and diagnosing are two very different things.
You close the office door and check in. Not as their evaluator. Not as HR. As the person who sees them every day and can tell something isn't right — and hopes they'll let you in.
They open up more than you expected. Now you're holding information that sits awkwardly between 'manager' and 'human being' — and the line between supporting and overstepping is thinner than it looks.
You can't fix this alone and you shouldn't try. But you can connect them with real help — EAP, professional support, accommodations — without making them feel like a liability.
More stories in this course
View all →The Colleague in Crisis
Something is wrong with the person two desks over. They haven't said anything. You're not sure what you're supposed to do. You do it anyway.
4 scenarios →The Burnout Conversation
You are the one running on empty. Six months of not saying it. Today you are going to tell your manager. Practice finding the words.
4 scenarios →The Friend in Crisis
Your closest friend is not okay. They have been messaging you at 2am. You don't know what to say — but you know saying nothing is not an option.
4 scenarios →The Manager's Responsibility
One of your best people is struggling. You can feel it. HR says it's not your problem. You know better than that.
Start free →4 scenarios · 25 min · No account required to try