22/09/2025
From Emotion to Resolution—in Just 5 Minutes
This morning, close to lunch time, while I was at a client site, a colleague called me out of the blue, frustrated. He was upset that a client hadn’t followed his advice to apply for HRD Corp training, and now the company was under investigation—leaving him with extra work to handle.
Coincidentally, I was sitting right next to the client’s training lead. I interrupted him and said, “Tell me exactly what you need her to do—I’ll speak to her now.” But he was still caught up in his emotions and continued complainting.
After listening, I responded: “I understand this is very stressful for you, but let’s focus on solving the issue first. Can you break down what you need into three simple steps and send it to me? I’ll talk to her right away.”
He stopped venting and sent me the message. I relayed it to the client, and she immediately agreed to adjust the process. Just like that, the problem was resolved.
When we shift our attention from emotion to solution, the emotion often dissolves on its own. Much of our anxiety stems from not knowing what to do next.
The journey from emotion to resolution isn’t always smooth—but it’s something I’m constantly practicing.
Have you experienced something similar? How do you shift from emotional reaction to solution focus?
