The win: A fast, no-pressure way to kick off your first September meeting that gets your team feeling connected again.
The 6-Word Challenge
Remember writing about ‘what you did on summer vacation’ every September during back-to-school? This is the grown-up version, and it works whether your team spent August on the beach, in the office, or just surviving with your kids on holiday.
How it works:
Give everyone 90 seconds to sum up their summer (or the last month) in exactly 6 words. Fewer words are fine, and it can be funny or serious, it’s up to them.
Prime the group with a few examples:
- Life is short, bike ride more.
- Slow weeks mean a happier me.
- Road trips and ice cream cones.
- Quiet office and inbox zero!
12 people or fewer: go around the room and share out. Bigger group: split into clusters of 4.
Bonus: take a few minutes to break into smaller groups and talk about what’s ahead this fall – both the highlights and the challenges. This is a good bridge from looking back to looking ahead as you dive into your agenda.
The win: A one-move reset for when someone is rude or aggressive in a meeting.
Someone Just Lost their Cool in Your Meeting.
Now What?
Here’s the moment: someone snaps at you in a meeting, a client gets short on a call, a colleague’s email lands harsher than it needed to. Your body wants to respond in that same second, match the tone, defend yourself, smooth it over. That’s the reactive brain talking, not the leader you truly are.
The fix can be surprisingly simple: say nothing for 10 seconds.
The 10-Second Rule and What to Say Next
- Count to 10 in your head before you say anything. This silence feels long in the moment, but I promise it isn’t. It’s just enough time to stop the reactive brain from taking over.
- Redirect, don’t retaliate. Once you’ve paused, use a calm, pointed question or statement instead of matching their energy.
- Was the comment rude or disrespectful? Here are some options to get back to a productive tone:
- “Did you mean for that to sound hurtful?”
- “I want to help, but I need this conversation to stay respectful.”
- “Let’s keep this constructive so we can actually solve the issue.”
- If the tone has remained respectful, but emotions are running high, here is a 3-part reframe to help you move forward:
- name the emotion (“I can tell this is frustrating”),
- state the shared goal (“we both want this fixed”),
- then propose a next step (“here’s what I suggest”).
- Was the comment rude or disrespectful? Here are some options to get back to a productive tone:
This works almost anywhere: meetings, client calls, even at home. Whether it’s your boss or your toddler, this reframing sequence can de-escalate an exchange and help you get back to a productive conversation.
Remember: The goal isn’t to win the exchange, it’s to steer things back to what actually needs solving.
Your action step: think of the last time someone’s comment caught you off guard. This week, if it happens again, try the 10-second pause before you respond.
If your team could use more support with emotional intelligence and healthy communication, our The EQ Edge: Leadership Success Through Emotional Intelligence workshop is built to give them practical tools like this one. Let’s talk about what that could look like.
Through the fun and practical activities, I watched everyone become more aware of blind spots in their relational abilities — they are now better equipped to leverage their strengths and lead with empathy."
