The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations

If last week was helpful (or if you didn’t watch it, go back now and listen!), this week kicks it up to the next level. In part 2 of their conversation with Laura Morgan, she helps us navigate some tricky situations:

- What if someone is yelling at you?

- What if they start crying?

- What if they’re using crying intentionally to manipulate and get out of consequences?

- What if they keep harping on “how things used to be”?

Laura is the real deal, and she gives us some great strategies to navigate the hardest situations.

About Laura

Laura Morgan began her career as a psychotherapist, where she developed a deep understanding of human behavior, transformation, and the conditions that allow people to grow and thrive. That clinical foundation continues to shape her work today, informing a leadership approach grounded in empathy, insight, and intentional design. Laura is currently the Director of Human Resources at Meketa Investment Group, where she partners with senior leaders to shape talent strategy, compensation philosophy, and organizational culture. She is passionate about building systems and environments where clarity, trust, and purpose enable both people and organizations to reach their full potential.

Contact Laura:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-m-morgan/

Contact us:

Email – [email protected]

Chris – https://www.myleadershippotential.com | www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc | download the Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders

Lucie – www.mindfittery.com | www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova and take the Saboteur Assessment

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 Director of HR at Meketa Investment Group. She’s passionate about reshaping organizational landscapes, bringing a holistic approach to shaping organizational dynamics. Her journey from a psychotherapist to HR leadership has equipped her with a profound understanding of human behavior, resilience, and growth.

Laura holds dual US/UK citizenship, bringing a global perspective to leadership and is dedicated to creating workplaces where every voice is heard and valued.



Contact Laura:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-m-morgan/

Contact us:

Email – [email protected]

Chris – https://www.myleadershippotential.com | www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc | download the Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders

Lucie – www.mindfittery.com | www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova and take the Saboteur Assessment

Explore effective strategies for delivering bad news, managing difficult conversations, and fostering a supportive team culture with our guest today, Toby Campbell. Learn practical techniques, metaphors, and leadership insights to improve communication skills.

About Dr. Toby Campbell

Dr. Toby Campbell is Professor of Medicine, Thoracic Oncologist, Chief of Palliative Care and the Ellen and Peter O. Johnson Chair in Palliative Care at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

An award-winning doctor, writer, and podcaster, he conducts the most difficult, "once in a lifetime" type conversations with people and families every day and translates those skills into lessons for anyone who wants to make their hard conversations go better. His communication tools have been featured on NPR, The Colbert Report, and Armchair Expert.

He is currently writing A Doctor's Guide to Hard Conversations (Post Hill Press) and created the Extraordinary Conversations podcast, exploring the rare and pivotal moments when lives intersect around organ donation and transplantation.

Dr. Campbell created and hosts the Palliatively Speaking podcast, where he interviews inspirational figures from the field of hospice and palliative care.



Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Warm-Up
00:06 Delivering Bad News Effectively
05:45 Self-Regulation in Difficult Conversations
08:32 Creating a Supportive Team Culture

Make sure you listen to part 1 of this interview here.

We cover:

Strategies for delivering bad news

Using metaphors to understand conversations

Building team culture for hard conversations

Managing emotions during difficult talks

Leadership tips for effective communication



Resources:

Extraordinary Conversations Podcast - https://extraordinaryconversationspodcast.com

We Talk Labs - https://wetalklabs.org

Mindfitter Be Free Assessment - https://mindfitter.com/befree

Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders



Connect with the Hosts

Email – [email protected]

Chris – https://www.myleadershippotential.com | www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc | download the Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders

Lucie – www.mindfittery.com | www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova and take the Saboteur Assessment

In this episode, Dr. Toby Campbell, an oncologist and expert in serious illness conversations, shares insights on how to navigate difficult medical discussions, especially around delivering bad news and organ donation. Discover practical frameworks, emotional engagement techniques, and the importance of communication skills in high-stakes situations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Warm-Up

00:00 Navigating Difficult Conversations in Healthcare

08:25 The Impact of Personal Experience on Professional Practice

09:20 Exploring the Transplant Experience

10:13 The Evolution of Organ Donation

13:17 The Emotional Journey of Donor Families

15:03 Training for Difficult Conversations

18:34 Empathy in Communication

22:27 Navigating Emotional Conversations

27:09 Delivering Bad News Effectively

29:14 Creating a Supportive Team Culture

About Dr. Toby Campbell

Dr. Toby Campbell is Professor of Medicine, Thoracic Oncologist, Chief of Palliative Care and the Ellen and Peter O. Johnson Chair in Palliative Care at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

An award-winning doctor, writer, and podcaster, he conducts the most difficult, "once in a lifetime" type conversations with people and families every day and translates those skills into lessons for anyone who wants to make their hard conversations go better. His communication tools have been featured on NPR, The Colbert Report, and Armchair Expert.

He is currently writing A Doctor's Guide to Hard Conversations (Post Hill Press) and created the Extraordinary Conversations podcast, exploring the rare and pivotal moments when lives intersect around organ donation and transplantation.

Dr. Campbell created and hosts the Palliatively Speaking podcast, where he interviews inspirational figures from the field of hospice and palliative care.



Connect with the Hosts

Email – [email protected]

Chris – https://www.myleadershippotential.com | www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc | download the Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders

Lucie – www.mindfittery.com | www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova and take the Saboteur Assessment

In this insightful interview, Gift Tshuma shares practical strategies for inclusive leadership, effective advocacy, and navigating difficult conversations in the workplace. Discover how to approach accessibility issues, support marginalized employees, and foster a more inclusive environment.

Key topics:

Inclusive leadership strategies

Advocacy and storytelling,

Handling difficult workplace conversations

Role of HR in diversity and inclusion

Mediation and escalation processes

Guest

Gift Tshuma (He/Him)

Advocacy Specialist, March of Dimes Canada

Co-Executive Director, Blurring the Boundaries — an organization creating accessible digital instruments for people with disabilities (UK & Canada)

Co-Founder, Tshuma Consulting — accessibility assessments, training, and strategic consulting

EDI Officer, The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts

Musician & Artist — R&B/Gospel singer, co-founder of United Tribulation Choir, trained in classical and jazz vocals, mentored by Oliver Jones

Originally from Zimbabwe, based in Canada

35+ years of lived experience and 17+ years of leadership in accessibility & inclusion

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gift-tshuma

Connect with the Hosts

Email – [email protected]

Chris – https://www.myleadershippotential.com | www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc | download the Difficult Conversation Playbook for Leaders

Lucie – www.mindfittery.com | www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova and take the Saboteur Assessment