Latest news with #communication
Fast Company
an hour ago
- General
- Fast Company
6 emotions that come up in difficult conversations—and how to handle them professionally
Difficult conversations are something we tend to avoid at all costs. Whether it's about underperformance, conflict, a personal issue, or an unsuccessful job application, entering any difficult conversation triggers fear within ourselves and the person on the other end. Our brain's flight or fight mechanism is triggered, with emotions taking the lead, and we frequently find ourselves in defensive mode looking for a win. Whether it be after a keynote at a conference or in a workplace emotional intelligence program, I'm often approached by people who are struggling with difficult conversations. They're gripped with frustration, fear, and exhaustion when they need to initiate a conversation and address an issue (or, on the other end, when they feel the repercussions of a poorly handled situation). Dealing with emotions in difficult conversations While we've become more focused on emotional intelligence in recent years, we still have a long way to go when we initiate difficult conversations. The language and emotional undertone of the words we use can exacerbate the emotions a person is feeling—or help them own it, process it, and move forward. Here's how to have an emotionally intelligent response to the feelings that you may encounter when you begin a difficult conversation with another person, along with what to avoid. 1. Upset Being upset is no different from any other emotion in that it has appropriate and severe levels. We have higher severity levels when fear is driving our emotions, or it's something that means a lot to us. Sometimes, our hormones can also be out of whack, meaning that we cry more easily than others. Here's how to receive upset. Your best approach: Getting upset in front of others (especially at work) tends to be embarrassing. Respond to the emotion, rather than the message delivered. Ask: Would you like to take a break, go to the bathroom or get a support person? How can I best support you through this? Avoid: Saying 'I know how you must be feeling,' 'I know this can't be easy,' or 'I am not loving delivering this message either.' Avoid any sentence that starts with 'I' or is related to you. You don't know how your companion is feeling, nor should you assume you do. It's not about you at all. 2. Anger Anger is an intense emotion. Our mind is being driven by our emotional brain, so there is no logic in play. Quite often we can't (or won't) hear anything people are saying until the intensity decreases, or we have finished saying what we have to say. Here's how to receive anger. Your best approach: Listen and pause; let them get it off their chest. Once they have aired their frustrations, use the same approach as you would with upset: ask them if they would like to take a break or how you can best support them through this. If their anger becomes inappropriate, pause the conversation and let everyone take a break and regain control of their emotions. Avoid: Our fight or flight response is often triggered at this point, so our natural defense mechanism is ready for battle or protection. Don't defend or try to justify your reasoning or message: this will only make their anger response even more intense. Avoid responding with anger, too. 3. Denial When our mind doesn't like what we are hearing, we can sometimes go into total denial to avoid the emotions being faced and felt. We put up barriers in our mind to block emotions and truly convince ourselves that this isn't happening. Here's how to receive denial. Your best approach: Reiterate the facts and reality of the situation clearly and explain the next steps. Ask: Does what I told you make sense? Do you understand what this means and what comes next? Avoid: Some people take time to process and accept information. Trying to force them to do it instantly is never wise—and is likely to lead to more denial. Avoid getting frustrated, telling someone how to accept the conversation or making statements. Ask questions instead to help them process it in their head. 4. Meh When the care factor or emotional response is low, it can be very confusing. People tend to be 'meh:' the expression that they couldn't care less about what is happening. They might seem disinterested, or even like they aren't listening. Here's how to receive it. Ask: Do you have all the information you need? Do you understand the outcome, next steps, and expectations? How can I best support you from here? After this, it is best to end the meeting but keep an eye on them and revisit the conversation if required. Avoid: Don't try to make it a big deal if they seem unfazed. This might be a cover for a deeper emotion, or they might not have processed the conversation yet. Or it may simply not be a big deal to them. Don't keep them there and continue to talk until you get the reaction you want or expected. 5. Curiosity Tough conversations can spark many unanswered questions. Questions aren't a bad thing and are a part of effective communication. Here's how to actively listen to curiosity and answer questions. Ask: Are there any other questions or thoughts you would like to share? How are you feeling about the information? Do you want to talk about it? Avoid: This shouldn't be a one-way conversation. Don't end the conversation before they have finished or have enough answers and information. Avoid laughing at any questions or comments. 6. Positivity Sometimes, something we believe will be a tough conversation isn't one. For some people, it's a relief to have the conversation or to have the issue out in the open. For others, it's an actual win aligned to their priorities. Ask: Are you happy to share more about what you are feeling and why? Is there anything more I can do to support you? Keep an eye on them and revisit the conversation if required, especially if their emotions change. Avoid: A positive response can catch you off-guard, so it's important to manage your own emotions both visually and verbally. Avoid cutting the conversation short or assuming this positive response will stay positive. It may be a protective front, or other emotions may follow. Following the emotion through the conversation brings the human factor back into communication. While it can seem a drawn-out process or distraction, it will get us a better interaction, understanding and outcome.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
A drink-fuelled party in Saudi Arabia, sex on a balcony and a cover-up that went to the heart of the British Establishment. New documentary re-examines infamous case of nurse Helen Smith and her VERY inconvenient death in the desert
On the morning of May 20, 1979, a young student named Graham Smith received an urgent message to telephone his father. 'I knew there was something wrong because he wouldn't call like that normally,' he reflects.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
How Many Exclamation Points Are Too Many in an Email? A Psychologist Weighs In
How Many Exclamation Points Are Too Many in an Email? A Psychologist Weighs In originally appeared on Parade. Writing an email might seem like common sense—just type out what you want to say and hit send, right? But once your fingers hit the keyboard, things can get a little tricky. It's not always the words or fancy phrasing that trip you up—it's the punctuation. Suddenly, you're staring at a sentence, wondering if it really needs an exclamation point, where you should put it or how many exclamation points are too many to . After all, you want to sound polished and professional, but also friendly and excited—especially when you're messaging someone you've never met or worked with before. Without your voice, facial expressions or a laugh to soften the tone, punctuation is the only way you can strike the perfect balance between sounding confident and why we reached out to psychologist who has over 641K followers on Instagram. She breaks down the subtle psychology behind punctuation in emails and explains how using something as small as an exclamation point over a period can shift the entire tone of your message. She explains why it's a fine line to walk, and that the key is to strike a balance—enough to convey warmth and enthusiasm, but not so much that it distracts from the professionalism you want to maintain. With her expertise, you can feel confident successfully adding well-placed exclamation points into your so you can come off as approachable without making yourself sound overly excited or insincere by doing so. It's all about using punctuation with intention and knowing that it can help your personality shine when done Dr. Slavens tells Parade that including exclamation points in a work-related email isn't looked at as unprofessional. It can make the person using them more likable.'Using an exclamation point isn't something to be embarrassed about—it doesn't make you look less professional,' she explains. 'If anything, it shows you're making an effort to be approachable, which most people appreciate, especially over email, where tone can so easily get lost.'So, why do some people avoid using them? 'Some people tend to avoid using exclamation points when they email others because they've been told—directly or indirectly—that incorporating enthusiasm looks unprofessional,' Dr. Slavens explains. 'That usually happens because in some industries there's still a lingering idea that being taken 'seriously' equals using no exclamation points. Due to that, people steer clear of them, even if it flattens their natural voice a bit.'Related: When it comes to the amount of exclamation points you should or shouldn't use in an email, Dr. Slavens shares that the number can vary slightly.'In an email, there should be one or two exclamation points, max,' she reveals. 'That way, there is enough to add warmth when you're reaching out to a new client, a coworker or someone you've never met, but not so many that it reads like you're yelling or overselling excitement. By including at least one well-placed exclamation point, it can make you sound more human and relatable. It can also soften the edges of what could otherwise come across too flat or transactional.'She adds that it's all about balance, in the end. For example, you don't want to have an exclamation point after every single sentence, she reveals, because it could "start to feel frantic" if that's the case. "That's why you should stick to including them in places where it makes sense to sound genuinely friendly, or where you want to express happiness about something," Dr. Slaves explains. "For instance, when you greet someone in an email you can write, 'Hi Tessa!' or after you express appreciation about something, you can say, 'Thanks so much for your help!' Another option is to place one when you're closing an email with excitement, where you can mention something like, 'I'm looking forward to working together!''Related: If you use over two exclamation points, Dr. Slavens says it could give off a different impression than you intended it to. 'If you use too many exclamation points, it can start to undermine what you're actually saying," she reveals. "It makes it hard for the reader to tell what's truly important and what's just awkward filler excitement. I usually suggest no more than one per short email, and if it's a longer email, two max—and never use them back-to-back.'Related: If you're someone who leans on exclamation points, Dr. Slavens tells Parade it's often driven by an instinct to sound upbeat and personable. 'People usually overuse exclamation points because they want to make sure their tone comes across as friendly,' she discloses. 'Emails can flatten nuance and a lot of us, especially if we work in helping fields or people-centered roles, would rather sound overly warm than risk sounding cold or rude. It's less about being unprofessional and more about trying to make sure the other person feels good reading it.'Up Next:Dr. Caitlin Slavens is a psychologist with over 641K followers on Instagram. How Many Exclamation Points Are Too Many in an Email? A Psychologist Weighs In first appeared on Parade on Jun 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
CNET
9 hours ago
- CNET
Your Phone Should Always Be Face Down When It's on the Table: Here's Why
Picture this: You're having lunch with a friend at the neighborhood cafe. They're sitting in front of you, but it feels like they're not even there. Why? Because they're staring at their phone. Everyone has probably had a similar experience, whether they're the one getting phone snubbed or doing the snubbing themselves. I've been guilty of paying more attention to my screen than my companion, and I feel bad about it afterward. There's nothing wrong with replying to an urgent Slack message or pulling up a funny TikTok to share. But I know I probably spend too much time staring at screens, and a lot of that time is unhealthy doomscrolling. These days, when I'm not using my phone, I try to be more deliberate about keeping it out of sight and out of mind. If I do need to keep my phone at hand, I always have it face down. It could help save your phone battery I have a few reasons for making sure my phone screen is turned away. The first one is practical: Because my screen is face down and won't turn on for each notification, I can save a little bit of battery charge. A single notification won't mean the difference between my phone lasting the whole day or dying in the afternoon, but notifications can add up, especially if I've enabled them across all of my apps. If I'm in a lot of group chats, my screen might end up turning on dozens of times throughout the day (and that's on the low side since many teenagers have hundreds of notifications a day). It also shows that you pay attention Keeping my phone face down is also a good rule of social etiquette: If I'm hanging out with someone, I keep my screen hidden from view as a subtle way of showing that I won't be distracted by it. I don't want incoming notifications to light up my screen every few seconds, especially if I'm in a bar or other dimly lit setting. I want to keep my eyes on the person I'm talking to. "Eye contact is one of the most powerful forms of human connection. Neuroscience research indicates that when two people make direct eye contact, their brain activity begins to synchronize, supporting more effective communication and increasing empathy. This synchrony can be disrupted when attention shifts to a phone, even briefly," says Michelle Davis, clinical psychologist at Headspace. When I'm with the people I've chosen to spend time with, I want to be fully present with them. A sudden notification will tempt me to glance at, or worse, pick up my phone in the middle of a conversation. It minimizes your phone's presence I also have a more personal reason for keeping my phone face down, and I suspect that other people have had this same thought: My phone takes up too much space in my life. I mean that quite literally. My phone is bigger than it needs to be. That's been especially true since I upgraded from my iPhone Mini to a "normal-sized" iPhone. Yes, I got a much needed boost in battery life, but I also got a screen with more pixels to lure me into the next news headline or autoplaying Instagram reel. A small smartphone isn't something that really exists anymore. My phone is bigger and better at grabbing my attention. It competes against my friends and family, books and movies, the entire world outside of its 6-inch screen. It often wins. But there's still one small thing I can do to minimize its presence: I can keep the screen turned away from me whenever possible. It can sometimes feel like there's no escaping from my phone. Whether that ever changes, or phones evolve into a new form factor, I can't say. I can't control everything about my phone, but I can control whether the screen stares at me when I'm not staring at it.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
DK Metcalf says Steelers defense was so loud, he couldn't hear Mason Rudolph's adjustments
Minkah Fitzpatrick's 'communicate or get benched' warning seems to be working — as DK Metcalf claimed the Steelers defense was so loud, he couldn't hear his QB's adjustments. At mandatory minicamp, Metcalf spoke highly of Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay Jr., and Fitzpatrick — before switching gears to detail how loud the Steelers' defensive communication was (courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette): Advertisement 'The defense is great, just going against them after yesterday — high energy group, very communicative,' Metcalf said. 'I was joking with Calvin [Austin III] that for the first play out there, I couldn't hear any of the checks that Mason [Rudolph] — or the snap count that Mason was saying, 'cause the defense was talking so much. It's just refreshing to see a defense that communicates, and we're just trying to model our game after them.' Fitzpatrick previously argued that the defensive struggles of 2024 fell squarely on the shoulders of poor communication — with Metcalf's recent comments serving as proof of a massive step in the right direction for the unit. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' DK Metcalf says defense was so loud he couldn't hear Rudolph
