How to get comfortable with emotions in difficult conversations (Part 1 with Laura Morgan)

How to get comfortable with emotions in difficult conversations (Part 1 with Laura Morgan)

From The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations by Chris Wong & Lucie Tesarova

April 28, 2026 · 19 min · Season 3

About this episode

Laura Morgan discusses how to manage emotions in difficult conversations.

One of the most common questions we get is “how do we manage the emotions that inevitably come up in difficult conversations?”  And our guest this week, Laura Morgan, knows exactly how to deal with it.  With a background as a mental health therapist and now as an HR Director, she’s no stranger to heavy emotions in difficult situations of all kinds.  But, as she describes it – emotions aren’t a bad thing, and we need to learn how to lean into them.  Laura walks us through how: -          Emotions are data, not obstacles, in conversations. -          Preparing for the emotional aspects is as just as important as the content. -          Ownership of emotions involves acknowledgment and responsibility. -          Pausing and grounding techniques help regulate emotional responses -          People aren’t robots, and while we don’t have to dig into every aspect of their personal lives, we have to acknowledge what makes them human.  About Laura   Laura is…

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Wong, Lucie Tesarova

Guest: Laura Morgan

Topics covered

  • emotional intelligence
  • difficult conversations
  • HR leadership
  • mental health
  • communication skills

Keywords

  • emotions
  • difficult conversations
  • HR
  • mental health
  • communication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meketa Investment Group

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