📣 Inas Laghzaoui, Head of HR & CSAT @ CE Brands International:
It sounds like some of her frustration might come from feeling disconnected or unheard. I’d suggest setting a clear agenda for meetings and gently sticking to it, but also having a kind, private conversation with her. Acknowledge her concerns, reassure her that she’s valued, and explore whether she’s feeling out of place or unsupported, but also explain that leadership meetings need to stay focused so the whole team can be effective.
That way, you’re setting healthy boundaries while showing genuine care. Sometimes people just need to feel seen, safe, and appreciated in their role. Since she mentioned it’s her ‘slowing down season,’ it could be that she feels she’s been giving a lot without feeling recognized.
📣 Olivia Maurer, HR Generalist @ Justice Law Corporation:
It sounds like you're in a tough spot – especially in a growing company where leadership time and focus are crucial. We can work towards setting clearer boundaries around the purpose of the meetings. You might consider resetting expectations with the team by explicitly stating that leadership or status meetings are for operational updates, team alignment, and strategic problem-solving – personal grievances can be handled/discussed via other avenues. That framing keeps it about the function of the meeting, not the individual. Providing an agenda for the meeting will support this idea as well.
To still support your employee, you could offer a separate channel for more personal conversations – like a monthly wellness check-in, dedicated 1:1s, or even an anonymous feedback form. That way, you’re creating space for those concerns without letting them dominate group time. In the moment, give yourself and your fellow GMs permission to respectfully redirect: “Thanks for sharing that – let’s take it offline so we can stay on track with the agenda” It helps reinforce the shift as a team-wide norm too!
📣 Alexandra E., CHRO @ Credit Union:
This is someone on the leadership team? If a senior team member is publicly struggling to manage a 40-hour, **flexible** schedule and regularly venting about work/life balance in front of both leadership and the broader team, well… uh. Yeah. Nah. That’s a definite no.
It’s fair to ask: If the people at the top seem overwhelmed and dissatisfied, how is everyone else in the company supposed to feel? The team is watching – always. Leadership sets the cultural and emotional tone, whether they mean to or not.
And when a leader turns status meetings into group therapy – minus the confidentiality or the healing – it derails the conversation and destroys morale. That’s a big ol Yikes.
Has anyone had a direct conversation with her about this? Not from a “how are you feeling today?” HR position,
sorry, not sorry because we’re kind of past that –
but from the standpoint of leadership optics and cultural impact, because it sounds like that conversation is overdue?
To be clear: her feelings are valid. We all hit rough patches. Everyone has a “burn the to-do list” day or maybe two…or possibly 5...😬 👀
But if she’s on day 458 of “set it all on fire” then it’s too much and she’s gotta stop.
If the folks who are supposed to have the most control, flexibility, and influence are visibly unhappy – and annoyingly vocal about it – it undermines the morale & structure. Worse, it makes others start questioning whether they should feel miserable too. That kind of ripple effect is (I hate this word, but…) toxic to a fast-growing business.
Realistically, she may very well have one foot out the door – all that complaining rarely means folks are in it for the long haul – but in the process of heading out the door, she’s unintentionally holding it open for others to join her with all that negativity.
So I’d start there: an honest, empathetic conversation with her, focused on leadership responsibility and the impact of all of these comments. Chances are, she doesn’t even realize how her words are hitting the team.
And not to sound like a corporate curmudgeon, (ok maybe a little) but… if you want the title, you gotta wear the shoes.
Leadership means being held to a higher standard – and knowing that your mood, your comments, and your “slowing down season” monologues don’t just belong to her when she announces them in a public forum because they set the tone for everyone else.
(and again, I’m sorry, but her…WHAT…season?!?! What The Actual Fudge is she thinking, saying those words in a team setting.) 😳🤯😑
::hops off my soap box::
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