Best Practices for Addressing Emotional Discomfort in Meetings

I’ve found myself navigating meetings when a colleague or team member is emotionally overwhelmed. One person came to me like a fireball, angry and frustrated. A peer had triggered them deeply. After recognizing that I needed to shift modes, I took a breath and said, “Okay, tell me what's happening.” I realized they didn’t want a solution. I thought to myself: They must still be figuring out how to respond and needed time to process. They are trusting me to help. I need to listen. In these moments, people often don’t need solutions; they need presence. There are times when people are too flooded with feelings to answer their own questions. This can feel counterintuitive in the workplace, where our instincts are tuned to solve, fix, and move forward. But leadership isn’t just about execution; it’s also about emotional regulation and providing psychological safety. When someone approaches you visibly upset, your job isn’t to immediately analyze or correct. Instead, your role is to listen, ground the space, and ensure they feel heard. This doesn't mean abandoning accountability or ownership; quite the opposite. When people feel safe, they’re more likely to engage openly in dialogue. The challenging part is balancing reassurance without minimizing the issue, lowering standards, or compromising team expectations. There’s also a potential trap: eventually, you'll need to shift from emotional containment to clear, kind feedback. But that transition should come only after the person feels genuinely heard, not before. Timing matters. Trust matters. If someone is spinning emotionally, be the steady presence. Be the one who notices. Allow them to guide the pace. Then, after the storm passes, and only then, you can invite reflection and growth. This is how you build a high-trust, high-performance culture: one conversation, one moment of grounded leadership at a time.

I tell people they’re dying for a living. Here are my 10 best communication tips: In hospice & palliative care, we know how to communicate effectively because we’re trained to do so We learn to how to tell a patient their cancer is terminal and how to respond when they’re angry it wasn’t caught sooner And if these communication skills work in life & death situations, you bet it’ll work in the office 1. The better rapport you have with the other party, the easier the conversation will go. Find common ground and do it quickly 2. You’re not just providing feedback or letting an employee go. You’re talking to a human. Never forget that. 3. Check your own pulse and emotions before you go into any conversation. Our mirror neurons are always working, so the calmer you are, the better it will be 4. The more you prepare upfront, the easier things will be. Choose an optimal time & place and ensure all necessary parties will attend 5. Most people are extremely uncomfortable with silence. Learn how to use it effectively in a conversation and you’ll be blown away by how powerful it is 6. Set expectations up front. My preferred generic format is “yours, mine, next steps.” Ex: “We’re here to discuss any concerns you may have, address some of ours, and talk about next steps going forward” 7. If you’re still going in circles after 60 minutes, end the meeting and plan to reconvene at a later date. Information overload does no one any good. Take a break and start fresh 8. If someone is emotional, you need to address the emotion before moving forward. Until then, their prefrontal cortex will be shut down in favor of their primitive brain that’s controlling their emotional state. 9. If you’re not helping someone cope with their emotions within a conversation, you’re not a good communicator. Period. 10. Your job isn’t to push an agenda. It’s to figure out the goal of the human(s) across from you and work towards finding a solution that works for all There’s plenty more but this is a good place to start Let me know what communication questions you have in the comments and I’ll make more posts to answer them

Underrated superpower: staying calm in chaos. 5 research-backed strategies to master it. Last week, I was in a meeting when a leader let out an audible sigh during a tense meeting. The sigh wasn’t just a sigh. It was a signal of frustration that spread to the whole team. People disengaged, the room grew tense, and the project suffered. We’ve all been there. One sigh, one eye roll, one tense moment. And suddenly the room shifts. It’s a reminder,  even small reactions can have big consequences. Here’s the thing:  Your brain’s amygdala can hijack your body in high-stress moments, triggering fight-or-flight mode.  It overrides the rational prefrontal cortex,  making it harder to think clearly  or make good decisions. But the most successful leaders I’ve seen stay calm. Especially when things feel crazy.  Their calm inspires trust,  strengthens relationships,  and turns chaos into clarity. Want to do the same? Try these 5 proven techniques: 1️⃣ Understand Amygdala Hijack (and How to Stop It): When stress hits, the amygdala can hijack your ability to think clearly, overriding the rational prefrontal cortex and making decision-making nearly impossible. Tip: Spot the signs (racing heart, flushed face) and remind yourself, “This is a biological response—I can take control.”   2️⃣ Hack Your Nervous System with Breathwork: Slow, controlled breathing signals your brain that you’re safe. Tip: Try Box Breathing. It reduces cortisol and reactivates the rational part of your brain. 3️⃣ Ground Yourself Physically: Grounding techniques interrupt emotional overwhelm by bringing your focus to the present moment. Tip: Plant your feet firmly on the floor or lightly touch your fingers together while counting to 10. 4️⃣ Label Your Emotions: When emotions run high, naming them can create psychological distance. This practice, known as affect labeling, helps you step back from intense feelings and respond with clarity. Tip: Instead of saying, “I’m so angry,” try reframing it as, “I’m having the thought that I feel angry.” 5️⃣ Use a Mantra to Stay Centered: Mantras are a powerful way to interrupt emotional escalation. Tip: Repeat phrases like, “This will pass” or “This isn’t about me. This is about business.” Each technique works on its own, but together, they give you the tools to master any high-pressure moment. Stress is inevitable.  Chaos is inevitable.  But calm?  That’s your leadership edge. And your greatest strength. What’s your go-to strategy for staying calm? ♻️ Share this to make calm contagious. ➕ And follow me (Amy) for more.