Interact WA

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.

Have you ever sent a message with a 🙂 or 👍 and thought: “That was friendly and clear”… only to realise it landed very differently on the other side?

That’s intent versus impact.

The same emoji. Different generations. Completely different interpretations.

What feels:
• polite to one person
• efficient to another
• supportive to you

Can land as:
• passive-aggressive
• dismissive
• overly intense

In leadership and communication, the risk isn’t using emojis. The risk is assuming that everyone shares the same meaning.

This is where roleplay becomes powerful. When you practise conversations with professional actors, you don’t just rehearse what you’ll say, you get to see how it lands on the character in front of you.

Actors make the impact visible:
• through tone shifts
• emotional responses
• subtle withdrawal or engagement

In digital communication, especially across generations, we often don’t realise we’ve missed the mark until it’s too late.

Roleplay creates a safe space to:
• test assumptions
• notice unintended impact
• and make adjustments before it matters most

That’s where trust and courageous communication are built.

Here's what leadership training can learn from athletic training:

✔️Consistent Skill Drills: Athletes dedicate hours to repetitive, focused exercises. Leadership training should shift towards practising specific scenarios like tough conversations or crises in the boardroom, rather than just covering theoretical concepts.

✔️Simulation and Rehearsal: Athletes use this to visualise every aspect of a successful outcome. Leaders can do the same by rehearsing difficult conversations or presentations to ease anxiety and boost confidence.

✔️Training under Pressure: Athletes don’t only train in ideal conditions; they simulate game-day stress to develop muscle memory. Similarly, in business, roleplaying high stakes conversations beforehand can prepare leaders better

✔️Learning from Failures: Athletes, see failures as feedback rather than final judgments. Leaders should treat setbacks as valuable data points for growth rather than personal failures.

Our Leadership Practice LABS focus on developing leadership skills through continuous, applied practice and feedback. Instead of just one-time engaging sessions, we promote learning that sticks and makes a real-world impact. 💪

How are your leaders practising critical communication skills safely? Explore our Practice LABS at .com.au