AI Coach
Meet Merlin.
Your team's AI coach.
Coaching on the situations your team faces this week. 83 skills, voice or chat, in 40 languages.
Coaching Session I need to give feedback to someone who got defensive last time...
What happened last time? What did you say, and how did they respond?
I said they need to be more reliable. They shut down.
"Be more reliable" is a character judgment. Try describing the situation instead:
"The Q3 report was due Thursday and came in Monday."
Your people know what to do. They just can’t do it when it matters.
Workshop
Managers sit through a feedback framework. They take notes. They understand the model.
The Transfer Gap
Knowledge doesn't
become behavior
Real situation
When they have to give feedback to a defensive team member, the framework goes out the window.
Traditional coaching solves this — you've seen it work for executives. But at $500/hour, coaching reaches maybe 5% of your organization. The other 95% get a workshop, a certificate, and good luck.
Merlin closes that gap.
A coach, not a chatbot. Merlin asks before it answers.
A chatbot gives you tips. Merlin gives you coaching.
When a manager tells Merlin their direct report pushed back on feedback, Merlin doesn't pull up "5 Tips for Giving Feedback." It starts asking questions. What happened exactly? What's the relationship history? What outcome does the manager want?
Then they work through the approach together. If the manager wants, they rehearse the conversation — Merlin plays the other person.
Generic chatbot
Shallow"Here are 5 tips for giving feedback: 1. Be specific 2. Focus on behavior 3. Use the SBI framework..."
Merlin
Deep"Tell me about this person. How long have they been on your team?"
"What happened when you gave feedback before? Walk me through it."
"It sounds like 'be more reliable' landed as a character judgment. What if you described the specific situation instead?"
"Want to rehearse this? I'll push back like they might."
One conversation. 83 skills, for managers and ICs, every day.
Six ways Merlin coaches. Most AI tools have one.
Skill challenges
A real-world scenario appears in the conversation. "Your team member just told you they're thinking about quitting. What do you do?" The manager works through it with Merlin's guidance.
Roleplay
Merlin plays the other person. The defensive direct report. The skeptical VP. Practice your approach and adjust before the real conversation.
Goal setting
Not "become a better communicator." More like "Give specific, observation-based feedback in my next three 1:1s and track each response."
Career planning
Where are they now, where do they want to go, what skills are in the gap? Merlin maps a practical path, not a wish list.
Skill development
Structured learning on a specific skill: delegation, conflict management, giving feedback. Coaching plus daily nudges and assessments.
General work situations
"My skip-level meeting is tomorrow." "Two people on my team aren't speaking to each other." Whatever comes up, whenever it comes up.
Bring something real. A conversation you're dreading, a skill you want to build.
Try Merlin FreeMost coaching I do starts the same way. Someone tells me about a situation that's bothering them, and I ask: 'What have you already tried?' Usually, they've been thinking about it for days but haven't tried anything, because they're not sure what to say. I fill that gap. Not knowledge. Confidence to act.
Merlin — AI Coach What makes Merlin a coach, not a chatbot.
Continuity
Every conversation builds on the last one. If a manager worked on feedback skills last month, Merlin connects the dots. A chatbot starts fresh every time.
Context integration
Connect engagement surveys, OKRs, performance feedback. A manager getting coached on delegation isn't getting generic advice — Merlin knows.
Accountability
"You've described three team members who aren't meeting expectations. What do you think they'd say about your support?" Harder to hear. What drives change.
Measurement
Every skill has a before-and-after assessment. Merlin tracks whether coaching is working, not just whether it's happening. The difference between "we did coaching" and "coaching improved these skills by 26%."
For managers and ICs. Different skills, same depth.
Managers and leaders
Delegation without micromanaging. Giving feedback that doesn't blow up. Running 1:1s that actually help. These aren't abstract concepts — they're the situations your managers face this week.
Individual contributors
Communicating clearly across teams. Speaking up in meetings. Navigating workplace dynamics. There's a silent career ceiling for ICs who are technically excellent but struggle with the human side of work.
Coaching that shows up every day.
Not a workshop you forget. Merlin coaches through daily nudges, structured learning journeys, and on-demand conversations whenever your team needs them.
Daily nudges
One technique per day. Five minutes. Delivered to inbox, Slack, or Teams.
"Today's nudge: Before your 1:1, ask yourself — what does this person need from me today?"
Learning journeys
Structured skill-building over weeks. Coaching + practice + assessment.
On-demand coaching
Before a tough conversation, after a meeting that went sideways, at 9pm before a performance review.
26%
avg skill improvement in 12 weeks
87%
engage in week one
82%+
still engaging at day 30
4.5
coaching conversations per user/month
Engagement that sticks
3,000+ users across 40+ organizations. Self-evaluation + team feedback assessment before and after each learning journey.
Trusted by teams at
"I have had 1-1 coaching before, and Risely was so much different. I could pace the guidance as per my preference and customize the challenges I face. The practical advice during my workday helps me easily navigate challenging situations."
Garima Mathur
Director, Strategic Marketing, Micron Technology
"I have been on a trial of Risely and I am very impressed. As someone who designs and delivers leadership development programs, Risely was on point with its journey maps and coaching content. It was responsive and reinforced concepts in a variety of ways."
Janis Cooper
Head of Leadership and Staff Development, Best Friends Animal Society
"We always said we needed to develop more leaders but the coaching budget covered maybe ten people. Risely let us reach everyone else."
Pedro Alvarez
Innovation Director, The AES Corporation
Frequently asked questions
What is AI coaching?
How is Merlin different from a chatbot?
What coaching methodology does Merlin use?
What skills does Merlin coach on?
Can an AI really coach on people skills?
Is Merlin confidential?
How long does it take to set up?
How do I get my team to actually use it?
Try Merlin. Five minutes. One real challenge.
Pick something real. A conversation you're dreading, a skill you want to build, a team problem you're stuck on. Coach with Merlin for five minutes. No signup. No credit card.