I get it. You care about the Work, and you expect people to honor their commitments. But how you handle that disappointment matters, because the energy you bring into the conversation influences what happens next. And for coaches, it influences something more: you're modeling how the leadership team will handle these moments with their own people. That's where I want to encourage you to make a shift: go from being angry to being encouraging.

Encouragement can be direct. You can address what happened, make your expectations clear, and hold someone accountable. The opportunity is to channel your anger into a conversation that equips them to follow through. Here are three gems to keep in mind, for your own conversations and for the ones you coach your clients through.

First, respond versus react. When you're angry, it's easy to say something that feels good for five seconds but makes the next five minutes much harder. Give yourself a moment to think about what you want the conversation to accomplish. Get curious about what happened. Was the expectation clear? Did they have the skills, information, and resources they needed? Did they simply drop the ball? Here's where a great Business Operating System earns its keep. When roles, accountabilities, Rocks, and KPIs are documented in Ninety, you don't have to guess whether the expectation was clear. You can see it. And if it wasn't clear, that's not a people problem; it's an Issue to solve. Help your clients ask those questions out loud, before anyone decides what the problem is. Understanding the situation helps you address the right Issue and focus your energy on what needs to happen next.

Second, embrace grace and grit. Grace means remembering that you're working with a person who, like you, can make mistakes, miss something, or have a difficult day. Grit means having the courage to address the Issue and follow through on the standard. Give people room to learn while being clear about their responsibilities. As a coach, you're often the one who has to bring both into the room at the same time: grace for the leader who's stretched thin, and grit to hold the team to the standards they set for themselves. Encouragement carries weight when people know you believe in their ability and expect them to do their part.

Third, leverage yes and. This helps you acknowledge someone's perspective while moving the conversation forward. You can recognize their effort and address what needs attention. You can understand the challenge and agree on the next step. In a session, it might sound like: "Yes, this quarter threw a lot at you, and let's agree on what gets this Rock back on track by next week." That acknowledgment gives people a reason to stay engaged, which makes it easier to work through a change in skill, behavior, or follow-through.

The next time someone disappoints you at work, remember what you're trying to accomplish. You want the commitment honored, the Work done well, and the person equipped to deliver. Bring your energy to that purpose.

Come on, you know it: being encouraging is far more productive than being angry. Respond versus react, embrace grace and grit, and leverage yes and. You can make your point, maintain your standards, and give people a reason to step up.

So the next time you feel yourself getting angry [or you watch a client's frustration start to boil over], do your best to be encouraging. The way you handle that moment can make all the difference. Because your clients aren't just learning a system from you. They're learning how to lead.

Carpe Momentum.