Addressing Emotional Barriers to Productivity

A senior manager I worked with used to pride himself on keeping emotions out of leadership decisions. Then during a major organizational restructure, his "rational" approach backfired spectacularly. In team meetings, his suppressed anxiety leaked out as sharp criticism. His unprocessed frustration with upper management showed up as dismissiveness toward his team's concerns. His unacknowledged grief about changing relationships manifested as resistance to collaboration. The irony? By ignoring his emotions, they were controlling his leadership more than ever. This experience taught him a crucial lesson about the first capability in our Teams Learning Library: Know & Grow Yourself. Emotional awareness helps leaders make more effective decisions. We introduced him to a simple practice: the Daily Emotional Weather Report. Each morning, he spent five minutes noting his emotions without judgment, just as he'd check the weather forecast. His entries looked like this: "Today I'm feeling anxious (7/10) about the budget presentation and hopeful (6/10) about the new team structure. Also noticing some resentment (4/10) about yesterday's last-minute changes." The transformation was remarkable. Simply naming emotions reduced their hidden influence on his decisions. In a particularly challenging conversation about timeline changes, he was able to acknowledge his frustration without letting it drive his response. He later told me: "Before this practice, emotions felt like disruptions to leadership. Now I realize they're information. When I acknowledge them consciously, they inform my decisions rather than take them over." Research supports this approach: leaders who process emotions regularly make more balanced decisions and connect more authentically with their teams during difficult periods. The practice takes five minutes but creates clarity that lasts all day. When you know your emotional weather, you can dress appropriately for the conditions ahead. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

One morning last week, I woke up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and sad...😫 In the past, those emotions would spiral, affect my productivity for the rest of the day; I would even get more frustrated at myself for feeling those emotions But NOW I have created a mental gym to control my emotions rather than allowing them to control me 🙌 Here are the steps I took which completely shifted my state. Try it out next time this happens to you: 1. Accept that I am feeling these emotions, but detach my identity from the emotion. Ie: I am not a sad person, I am just feeling sadness. - There is a difference, and it will pass. 2. Write down why I began to feel these emotions; what caused it? What upset me? 3. When is the appropriate time to take action on the incident that triggered the emotions? Is there anything I can do to solve it? Put a time block on your calendar indicating when you can take action. 4. Write down 5 things I'm grateful for 5. Physically move my body (Crushed my workout with a killer playlist) 6. Write my long term goals, and visualize myself accomplishing them and feeling the emotions I would experience in this process. By the end of my physical and mental gym routine, I felt inspired, joyful, and motivated to take clear action. This approach has been transformational for me. Instead of getting stuck in negative emotions or ignoring them (making them compound). ➡️ Now, I feel empowered to handle them face on, and they actually give me more insight on how to have a more positive, productive, clear plan moving forward. I'm sharing this because I want you to know you don't have to stay stuck either. We all face challenging experiences, but you can truly turn challenges into strengths. Who else has developed strategies for managing difficult emotions? Comment below, I'd love to hear about your experience and tactics! #EmotionalIntelligence #ProfessionalGrowth #Resilience

Technical brains + human feelings = 404 Error (I used to be that system.) We grew up in places where facts were everything. Feelings were ignored. School rewarded precision—not emotional depth. This creates a risky pattern: 1️⃣ Conversations stay surface-level. 2️⃣ People nod in meetings, then resist in action. 3️⃣ Real tensions go unspoken. Technical leaders avoid emotions because it feels unfamiliar. We’re wired to solve clear problems—not sit with discomfort. But real leadership requires emotional skill. Productive conflict isn’t cage match energy. It’s just being real—with a bit of courage. Here’s how to shift your approach to tension: ✓ 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 → “Let’s look at the idea—not the person.” → “I see your angle 𝘢𝘯𝘥 I have concerns.” → “It’s not about being right. It’s about what works best.” ✓ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 → Assign someone to argue the opposite view. → List both pros 𝘢𝘯𝘥 cons. → Focus on tradeoffs, not perfect solutions. ✓ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 → “Bringing up problems early is a contribution—not a complaint.” → “Good meetings solve problems—not just keep the peace.” → “Challenge ideas. Don’t attack people.” Your biggest issues hide where no one is speaking up. Your team doesn’t need all the answers. They need space for the truth. Got a go-to line for awkward conversations? Share it—I might steal it.

I’ve been struggling to own my brain. Feels like I’ve been mentally hijacked by life. Work. Family. Politics. Money. Health. But, I know I’m not alone. A lot of us are having trouble owning our own brain lately. When that happens, our lives are disrupted. It’s harder to focus or get things accomplished. You might feel unmotivated or uninspired. You might feel less creative or innovative. When the noise gets to be too much, that is when the intentional use of focus techniques can come in handy. Here are a few things I try to action when I feel like I’m not owning my brain: Prioritize Tasks: Break down your tasks into manageable chunks. Focus on completing one thing at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. This approach helps reduce stress and increases your sense of accomplishment as you complete each task. Mindfulness and Meditation: Spend a few minutes each day in mindfulness or meditation. It helps clear the mental clutter and enhances your focus. Regular mindfulness practice can improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and enhance overall mental clarity. Physical Activity: Exercise can be a great way to reset your mind. Even a short walk can make a big difference. Physical activity releases endorphins, which improve mood and energy levels, leading to better mental and physical health. Talk to Someone: Sometimes, sharing your thoughts and feelings with a trusted friend, colleague, or therapist can provide new perspectives and relieve mental pressure. It’s okay to ask for help. Talking to someone can help you feel supported, reduce feelings of isolation, and provide new insights into your challenges. Take Breaks: Regular breaks during work can help refresh your mind and improve productivity. Schedule time on your calendar to step away from your desk, stretch, or grab a coffee. Taking breaks prevents burnout, increases creativity, and enhances overall productivity. Limit Distractions: Identify what commonly distracts you and find ways to minimize them. This could be as simple as turning off notifications or setting specific times to check emails. Reducing distractions allows for deeper focus, better quality work, and more efficient use of time. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. Setting boundaries ensures you have time to recharge, leading to improved mental health and sustained productivity. Remember, it’s important to take care of your mental well-being. Hopefully, by incorporating one or two these techniques, you can regain control and start owning your brain again. #leadership #leadershipmatters #Culture #multifamily

In recent months, I've been closely working with a team experiencing a common challenge – a blame culture fueled by uncertainty and fear of layoffs. This environment leads to isolation, finger-pointing, and a stifling of collaboration. While logic can help address the counterproductive nature of such behaviors, the truth is, emotions they are experiencing are facts too. You might even say, while logic speaks volumes, emotions echo even louder. A team coach instead of simply telling team members how to change, needs to help them connect the dots and build emotional intelligence. Step 1 - Identifying and Accepting Emotions: -Tuning in by creating a safe space for team members to acknowledge their feelings. What anxieties are lurking beneath the surface? -Putting a name to our emotions helps us understand and manage them. Are we feeling frustrated, scared, or overwhelmed? -Taking advantage of normalization. It's important to recognize that these emotions are normal responses to an uncertain situation. Step 2 - From Blame to Courage Once the emotions are acknowledged, a team can move forward and reframe them. One team member recently pointed out that ‘this anxiety hasn't stopped us yet’. This highlights an underlying strength of resilience. Can the team channel this emotional energy into courage? Courage to communicate openly, collaborate effectively, and support one another? Remember, a team that works together, thrives together. Such a cliché, but whenever I think about aspiring human achievements, they were the result of team effort. As a team coach I can help teams I support by staying longer in uncomfortable, so they can see the hidden energy of it. #siliconvalleycoach #teamcoaching #teamcoach