In this episode of In-Ear Insights, the Trust Insights podcast, Katie Robbert and Christopher Penn tackle a common workplace challenge – how to keep teams focused on priorities instead of getting distracted by drama or interpersonal issues.

As Katie explains, acknowledging that some level of gossip or emotional venting will happen is key. Trying to forbid it entirely tends to backfire. Instead, managers should set aside appropriate times and guardrails for indulging in that talk, while firmly redirecting it the rest of the time.

Chris and Katie discuss tactics like:

The bottom line? Handling people is complicated. But with empathy, emotional intelligence, and healthy boundaries, managers can acknowledge feelings while keeping teams productive. This insightful episode is essential listening for anyone managing teams or dealing with workplace interpersonal challenges.

(Summary generated by AI)

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In this week’s In-Ear Insights, let’s talk about communication and productivity.

One of the things that is constantly a challenge for managers and for individual contributors, I’m raising my both my hands on this one is staying focused on what’s important.

One of the things that I’ve observed in my work, and we talked about this on the, on the previous livestream about with Save Warrior Nun folks is getting people to focus on the things that are important that are going to move the needle and push the ball down the field, whatever analogy you want to use, and not get distracted by either shiny objects or things that are emotionally impactful, but not results impactful, you know, drama and gossip and the rumor mill things that you’ve experienced in the office all the time.

So Katie, when it comes to managing people, when it comes to being a good leader? How do you help people stay focused, particularly if you have all this emotionally interesting drama over here, but you have the dry but boring, but yet incredibly important results oriented work over here?

Well, I do h