Embrace difficult conversations that boost team’s trust and morale.

Handling difficult conversations effectively is a key part of managers’ roles, whether it’s delivering tough feedback, addressing performance issues, or resolving conflicts.

Most managers are familiar with frameworks like Radical Candor, Courageous Conversations, and Crucial Conversations, but when the time comes, they often struggle to find the right words that won’t hurt their employees' feelings or sound rude.

So, how can managers actually get good at difficult conversations? By preparing and practicing with Pascal.

Trusted by fast-growing startups and unicorns.

A day in the life of a 
high-performing team

John’s morning starts with a dilemma—his director has requested a new feature just weeks before launch, but his team simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to deliver. He needs to push back without sounding like he’s resisting change or undermining the project’s momentum. The stakes are high, and navigating this conversation could impact trust and future collaboration. With the support of his AI coach Pascal, John is able to shape his response in a way that sets clear boundaries while offering alternative solutions. 

By using data-backed insights and suggested phrases, Pascal equips John to communicate confidently, ensuring that his concerns are heard without sacrificing his team’s reputation.
A day in the life of a manager with Pascal

How AI coaching supports high-stakes conversations

Get clarity

Pascal helps managers assess complex situations, collect evidence, and identify specific areas for feedback, both praise and criticism. Discussing the situation with Pascal is a great way to reduce the emotional load and get a more nuanced perspective on current challenges. 

Use role-play to practice

For genuine and sincere feedback that doesn’t sound too scripted, nothing beats a role-play. Pascal helps managers find their own style and language, refine their approach, and show they care deeply while delivering constructive feedback.

Reflect

After the conversation, managers team up with Pascal to revisit their discussion and reflect on how it went. This iterative process helps build their feedback muscle over time, ensuring continuous improvement. 

Create compounding effects with micro-learnings

Pascal helps managers master the top frameworks and best practices for difficult conversations. It shares bite-sized, contextual content and helps them apply it in real situations. Over time, these micro-learnings create compounding effects, building a robust foundation of skills and expertise.

Testimonials

Don't take our word for it—hear directly from those who raised their game with Pascal.

Juan M.

"Pinnacle has been instrumental in my development as a manager, equipping me with the skills to absorb, interpret, and shape my experiences effectively. It has helped me weed through the myriad of choices, giving me insight I might be missing, best practices from other's experiences and the foresight to probe my theories and think through things before acting."

Juan M.
Team Lead
Nelson T

"The content is both insightful and applicable to my daily work, and the ability to connect with a coach directly has added a lot of value."

Nelson T
Squad Lead
Zach Z.

“Overall very good and responsive.”

Zach Z.
Software Engineer
Qaim R.

"I liked the engagement and the ideas on how to solve the problems being faced."

Qaim R.
Manager
Manoj M.

"The program is customized for each participant. The coach focuses on recognizing the strength and areas of improvement of each individual, offering tailored guidance to enhance personal growth."

Manoj M.
Team lead
João G.

"I liked the structure of it, the texts on Slack are quite an easy way of going through, I have the freedom of reading whenever I can. Also making your direct reports to review you and then go through it (your weak points, etc.), I believe that's the way to become better."

João G.
Manager
Shaival S.

"Good insights and knowledge available out there was very convenient to not have a set time having the convenience to Slack with the coach and bounce off questions."

Shaival S.
Manager, Hardware Engineering
Donald F.

"The text-based coaching is great to have pretty much instant feedback and someone you know you can reach out to for advice.... My overall tone has changed when interacting with teammates. [...]. I soon will fall into a management position so although most of what I have read might not directly apply to my day to day, it will in the future and I am thankful for being able to have this type of coaching."

Donald F.
Technical Support Manager
Jordan M.

“It helped me be a more engaging manager - it gave me the tools for pursuing paths suggested for making more of an effective in management. Pinnacle provides clarity and situational preparedness through contextual analysis of shared coaching statuses & situations.”

Jordan M.
Squad Lead
Brighton O.

“Pinnacle has been instrumental in reminding me of the management and interpersonal relationship and factors that we often tend to overlook. With Pinnacle I have learnt that in order to succeed in any task you need to first be aligned with the team members and they should know as much details on the decisions made to be part of the decision making as possible.”... "Pinnacle helped me get aligned with my team members."

Brighton O.
Operating Lead Manager
Jason H.

"This was the first time I've done any leadership/management training. I thought it was helpful and the personalized touch was great."

Jason H.
Sr. Manager, Growth Engineering & Operations
Yale S.

"The catered tips and insights into good management practices have played a significant part in shaping how I think and act as a manager."

Yale S.
Program Manager
Nick P.

“It was deeply, profoundly insightful and taught me a lot about myself. Absolutely 100% recommend!!!”

Nick P.
Security Engineering Manager
Carey M.

"The level of tailored assistance is phenomenally helpful."

Carey M.
Team Lead
Jane W.

"In the past three months, I learned a lot of techniques for how to handle different scenarios, e.g. how to motivate team members, how to handle conflicts and build a psychological safety. I learned to become more specific to the type of feedback that I would like to know.[..] Pinnacle also provides the platform where I can interact with other managers, get to know what are their challenges and learn from them.“

Jane W.
Lead Engineering Program Manager
Shanique S.

"Though confident with my skills, the program quickly became a soundboard for ideas and support in every way professionally. I love that I am provided with support and expert advice with some things that I would usually have to navigate on my own."

Shanique S.
Team Lead
Rowena T.

 “Pinnacle’s articles are genuine. It helps me understand my direct reports point of view. I learned constructive feedback, how to coach effectively, how to tune the accountability dial.”

Rowena T.
Support Team Lead
Tanner V.

 "I learned a lot of new tactics for management and gained more confidence in delivering critical feedback to my direct reports.

Tanner V.
Technical Support Manager
Alex R.

“Love my coach. Love the insights from Pinnacle App. Love the Slack integration and ease of use."

Alex R.
Principal Scientist
Jay B.

"I love Pinnacle for its simplicity. Having someone to engage with, for people management questions is really great"

Jay B.
Engineering Manager
Juan M.

"Pinnacle has been instrumental in my development as a manager, equipping me with the skills to absorb, interpret, and shape my experiences effectively. It has helped me weed through the myriad of choices, giving me insight I might be missing, best practices from other's experiences and the foresight to probe my theories and think through things before acting."

Juan M.
Team Lead
Nelson T

"The content is both insightful and applicable to my daily work, and the ability to connect with a coach directly has added a lot of value."

Nelson T
Squad Lead
Zach Z.

“Overall very good and responsive.”

Zach Z.
Software Engineer
Qaim R.

"I liked the engagement and the ideas on how to solve the problems being faced."

Qaim R.
Manager
Manoj M.

"The program is customized for each participant. The coach focuses on recognizing the strength and areas of improvement of each individual, offering tailored guidance to enhance personal growth."

Manoj M.
Team lead
João G.

"I liked the structure of it, the texts on Slack are quite an easy way of going through, I have the freedom of reading whenever I can. Also making your direct reports to review you and then go through it (your weak points, etc.), I believe that's the way to become better."

João G.
Manager
Shaival S.

"Good insights and knowledge available out there was very convenient to not have a set time having the convenience to Slack with the coach and bounce off questions."

Shaival S.
Manager, Hardware Engineering
Donald F.

"The text-based coaching is great to have pretty much instant feedback and someone you know you can reach out to for advice.... My overall tone has changed when interacting with teammates. [...]. I soon will fall into a management position so although most of what I have read might not directly apply to my day to day, it will in the future and I am thankful for being able to have this type of coaching."

Donald F.
Technical Support Manager
Jordan M.

“It helped me be a more engaging manager - it gave me the tools for pursuing paths suggested for making more of an effective in management. Pinnacle provides clarity and situational preparedness through contextual analysis of shared coaching statuses & situations.”

Jordan M.
Squad Lead
Brighton O.

“Pinnacle has been instrumental in reminding me of the management and interpersonal relationship and factors that we often tend to overlook. With Pinnacle I have learnt that in order to succeed in any task you need to first be aligned with the team members and they should know as much details on the decisions made to be part of the decision making as possible.”... "Pinnacle helped me get aligned with my team members."

Brighton O.
Operating Lead Manager
Jason H.

"This was the first time I've done any leadership/management training. I thought it was helpful and the personalized touch was great."

Jason H.
Sr. Manager, Growth Engineering & Operations
Yale S.

"The catered tips and insights into good management practices have played a significant part in shaping how I think and act as a manager."

Yale S.
Program Manager
Nick P.

“It was deeply, profoundly insightful and taught me a lot about myself. Absolutely 100% recommend!!!”

Nick P.
Security Engineering Manager
Carey M.

"The level of tailored assistance is phenomenally helpful."

Carey M.
Team Lead
Jane W.

"In the past three months, I learned a lot of techniques for how to handle different scenarios, e.g. how to motivate team members, how to handle conflicts and build a psychological safety. I learned to become more specific to the type of feedback that I would like to know.[..] Pinnacle also provides the platform where I can interact with other managers, get to know what are their challenges and learn from them.“

Jane W.
Lead Engineering Program Manager
Shanique S.

"Though confident with my skills, the program quickly became a soundboard for ideas and support in every way professionally. I love that I am provided with support and expert advice with some things that I would usually have to navigate on my own."

Shanique S.
Team Lead
Rowena T.

 “Pinnacle’s articles are genuine. It helps me understand my direct reports point of view. I learned constructive feedback, how to coach effectively, how to tune the accountability dial.”

Rowena T.
Support Team Lead
Tanner V.

 "I learned a lot of new tactics for management and gained more confidence in delivering critical feedback to my direct reports.

Tanner V.
Technical Support Manager
Alex R.

“Love my coach. Love the insights from Pinnacle App. Love the Slack integration and ease of use."

Alex R.
Principal Scientist
Jay B.

"I love Pinnacle for its simplicity. Having someone to engage with, for people management questions is really great"

Jay B.
Engineering Manager

"Pinnacle has been instrumental in my development as a manager, equipping me with the skills to absorb, interpret, and shape my experiences effectively. It has helped me weed through the myriad of choices, giving me insight I might be missing, best practices from other's experiences and the foresight to probe my theories and think through things before acting."

Juan M.
Team Lead

"The content is both insightful and applicable to my daily work, and the ability to connect with a coach directly has added a lot of value."

Nelson T
Squad Lead

“Overall very good and responsive.”

Zach Z.
Software Engineer

"I liked the engagement and the ideas on how to solve the problems being faced."

Qaim R.
Manager

"The program is customized for each participant. The coach focuses on recognizing the strength and areas of improvement of each individual, offering tailored guidance to enhance personal growth."

Manoj M.
Team lead

"I liked the structure of it, the texts on Slack are quite an easy way of going through, I have the freedom of reading whenever I can. Also making your direct reports to review you and then go through it (your weak points, etc.), I believe that's the way to become better."

João G.
Manager

"Good insights and knowledge available out there was very convenient to not have a set time having the convenience to Slack with the coach and bounce off questions."

Shaival S.
Manager, Hardware Engineering

"The text-based coaching is great to have pretty much instant feedback and someone you know you can reach out to for advice.... My overall tone has changed when interacting with teammates. [...]. I soon will fall into a management position so although most of what I have read might not directly apply to my day to day, it will in the future and I am thankful for being able to have this type of coaching."

Donald F.
Technical Support Manager

“It helped me be a more engaging manager - it gave me the tools for pursuing paths suggested for making more of an effective in management. Pinnacle provides clarity and situational preparedness through contextual analysis of shared coaching statuses & situations.”

Jordan M.
Squad Lead

“Pinnacle has been instrumental in reminding me of the management and interpersonal relationship and factors that we often tend to overlook. With Pinnacle I have learnt that in order to succeed in any task you need to first be aligned with the team members and they should know as much details on the decisions made to be part of the decision making as possible.”... "Pinnacle helped me get aligned with my team members."

Brighton O.
Operating Lead Manager

"This was the first time I've done any leadership/management training. I thought it was helpful and the personalized touch was great."

Jason H.
Sr. Manager, Growth Engineering & Operations

"The catered tips and insights into good management practices have played a significant part in shaping how I think and act as a manager."

Yale S.
Program Manager

“It was deeply, profoundly insightful and taught me a lot about myself. Absolutely 100% recommend!!!”

Nick P.
Security Engineering Manager

"The level of tailored assistance is phenomenally helpful."

Carey M.
Team Lead

"In the past three months, I learned a lot of techniques for how to handle different scenarios, e.g. how to motivate team members, how to handle conflicts and build a psychological safety. I learned to become more specific to the type of feedback that I would like to know.[..] Pinnacle also provides the platform where I can interact with other managers, get to know what are their challenges and learn from them.“

Jane W.
Lead Engineering Program Manager

"Though confident with my skills, the program quickly became a soundboard for ideas and support in every way professionally. I love that I am provided with support and expert advice with some things that I would usually have to navigate on my own."

Shanique S.
Team Lead

 “Pinnacle’s articles are genuine. It helps me understand my direct reports point of view. I learned constructive feedback, how to coach effectively, how to tune the accountability dial.”

Rowena T.
Support Team Lead

 "I learned a lot of new tactics for management and gained more confidence in delivering critical feedback to my direct reports.

Tanner V.
Technical Support Manager

“Love my coach. Love the insights from Pinnacle App. Love the Slack integration and ease of use."

Alex R.
Principal Scientist

"I love Pinnacle for its simplicity. Having someone to engage with, for people management questions is really great"

Jay B.
Engineering Manager

"Pinnacle has been instrumental in my development as a manager, equipping me with the skills to absorb, interpret, and shape my experiences effectively. It has helped me weed through the myriad of choices, giving me insight I might be missing, best practices from other's experiences and the foresight to probe my theories and think through things before acting."

Juan M.
Team Lead

"The content is both insightful and applicable to my daily work, and the ability to connect with a coach directly has added a lot of value."

Nelson T
Squad Lead

“Overall very good and responsive.”

Zach Z.
Software Engineer

"I liked the engagement and the ideas on how to solve the problems being faced."

Qaim R.
Manager

"The program is customized for each participant. The coach focuses on recognizing the strength and areas of improvement of each individual, offering tailored guidance to enhance personal growth."

Manoj M.
Team lead

"I liked the structure of it, the texts on Slack are quite an easy way of going through, I have the freedom of reading whenever I can. Also making your direct reports to review you and then go through it (your weak points, etc.), I believe that's the way to become better."

João G.
Manager

"Good insights and knowledge available out there was very convenient to not have a set time having the convenience to Slack with the coach and bounce off questions."

Shaival S.
Manager, Hardware Engineering

"The text-based coaching is great to have pretty much instant feedback and someone you know you can reach out to for advice.... My overall tone has changed when interacting with teammates. [...]. I soon will fall into a management position so although most of what I have read might not directly apply to my day to day, it will in the future and I am thankful for being able to have this type of coaching."

Donald F.
Technical Support Manager

“It helped me be a more engaging manager - it gave me the tools for pursuing paths suggested for making more of an effective in management. Pinnacle provides clarity and situational preparedness through contextual analysis of shared coaching statuses & situations.”

Jordan M.
Squad Lead

“Pinnacle has been instrumental in reminding me of the management and interpersonal relationship and factors that we often tend to overlook. With Pinnacle I have learnt that in order to succeed in any task you need to first be aligned with the team members and they should know as much details on the decisions made to be part of the decision making as possible.”... "Pinnacle helped me get aligned with my team members."

Brighton O.
Operating Lead Manager

"This was the first time I've done any leadership/management training. I thought it was helpful and the personalized touch was great."

Jason H.
Sr. Manager, Growth Engineering & Operations

"The catered tips and insights into good management practices have played a significant part in shaping how I think and act as a manager."

Yale S.
Program Manager

“It was deeply, profoundly insightful and taught me a lot about myself. Absolutely 100% recommend!!!”

Nick P.
Security Engineering Manager

"The level of tailored assistance is phenomenally helpful."

Carey M.
Team Lead

"In the past three months, I learned a lot of techniques for how to handle different scenarios, e.g. how to motivate team members, how to handle conflicts and build a psychological safety. I learned to become more specific to the type of feedback that I would like to know.[..] Pinnacle also provides the platform where I can interact with other managers, get to know what are their challenges and learn from them.“

Jane W.
Lead Engineering Program Manager

"Though confident with my skills, the program quickly became a soundboard for ideas and support in every way professionally. I love that I am provided with support and expert advice with some things that I would usually have to navigate on my own."

Shanique S.
Team Lead

 “Pinnacle’s articles are genuine. It helps me understand my direct reports point of view. I learned constructive feedback, how to coach effectively, how to tune the accountability dial.”

Rowena T.
Support Team Lead

 "I learned a lot of new tactics for management and gained more confidence in delivering critical feedback to my direct reports.

Tanner V.
Technical Support Manager

“Love my coach. Love the insights from Pinnacle App. Love the Slack integration and ease of use."

Alex R.
Principal Scientist

"I love Pinnacle for its simplicity. Having someone to engage with, for people management questions is really great"

Jay B.
Engineering Manager

See Pascal in action.

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