In contact centers, communication often breaks down in moments of pressure—when emotions spike, performance is high-stakes, and clarity is most needed. That's when reactive patterns kick in: avoidance, defensiveness, miscommunication. Left unchecked, these moments erode trust, reduce team performance, and prevent innovation.

This session offers a coaching-based framework for navigating high-stakes conversations with clarity, courage, and empathy. You'll explore how the brain processes stress (the "amygdala hijack") and how to re-engage your team's higher reasoning through simple, powerful tools rooted in emotional intelligence and behavioral science.

Participants will practice using the Iceberg Model—a tool for uncovering what lies beneath the surface of conflict: behaviors, thoughts, values, and unmet needs—and apply it using the Courageous Conversation Grid, a hands-on tool for structuring de-escalation and trust-building in the moment.

Whether you manage frontline agents, coach supervisors, or lead cross-functional initiatives, this session will help you turn tough conversations into opportunities for deeper alignment and leadership growth.

Why This Session Matters for ICMI Attendees:

Contact center leaders are expected to drive performance and retain talent while navigating constant change. The best leaders today are not just decision-makers—they're conversation shapers. This session gives attendees the coaching skills and confidence to lead their teams through moments of tension and come out stronger on the other side.

Takeaway

Recognize the Signs of an Amygdala Hijack
Understand the neuroscience behind reactivity and how it affects listening, empathy, and decision-making in high-stakes moments.

Use the Iceberg Model to Uncover Root Issues
Learn how to move beyond surface-level conflict by exploring unspoken emotions, values, and unmet needs.

Apply the Courageous Conversation Grid
Practice a step-by-step tool that makes difficult conversations more intentional, respectful, and outcome-oriented.

Lead with Coaching, Not Control
Shift your presence from performance to partnership—helping teams feel seen, supported, and empowered to solve problems.

Create Space for Trust to Grow
Learn how to slow down the moment, ask better questions, and build cultures of feedback, not fear.