The Workplace Communication Podcast

Imagine walking into a tense meeting where emotions are running high and instead of trying to find the perfect words, you say just two simple ones that instantly shift the entire dynamic. It sounds almost too simple to work, but for Doug Noll, it's a proven method grounded in neuroscience and tested in some of the most extreme environments imaginable.
 
After 22 years as a trial lawyer, Doug Noll walked away from the courtroom to become a peacemaker, taking his work into maximum-security prisons, where he trained individuals serving life sentences for murder to become mediators and peacekeepers. Today, he brings those same battle-tested skills into boardrooms and leadership teams, helping organizations navigate conflict, rebuild trust, and transform how people communicate at work. 
 
On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Doug Noll, about the power of naming emotions and why most workplace communication advice misses the mark. Join us as we learn how to recognize what's really happening beneath the surface in high-stakes conversations, how to answer the brain's three subconscious questions, and how to shift from trying to control conversations to creating emotional safety that accelerates trust, collaboration, and results. 
 
Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 
🎙️ Regulating your own nervous system before stepping into high-stakes conversations
🎙️ Assessing emotional cues in others instead of relying solely on their words
🎙️ Validating colleagues by naming their emotions to reduce defensiveness
🎙️ Practicing affect labeling in low-pressure situations to build confidence
🎙️ Cultivating psychological safety by consistently making others feel seen and heard
 
Doug Noll is a lawyer-turned-peacemaker whose work has carried him from training murderers to become peacemakers in maximum security prisons to the US Congressional Budget Office.
 
If you're looking to move beyond surface-level communication and lead with emotional awareness that transforms conflict into connection, then this episode is for you!
 
If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.  
 
🎧 Listen to the episode: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/ 
 
For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above. 
 
Doug Noll's contact information:
Website
LinkedIn
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Other: Substack
De-Esalate Academy
 
Lindsay's contact information:
To book a discovery call 
E-mail
Website
LinkedIn 
Previous podcast episodes

You can have the strategy, the roadmap, and the results to prove it, and still feel completely disconnected from your own leadership.
 
That's the quiet tension Jamelle Lindo has seen time and time again. After a decade in leadership roles, he realized something most organizations overlook: success isn't just built on intellect or execution - it's built on humanity. And when that piece is missing, even the highest performers can feel emotionally powerless.
 
As the creator of the Emotional Empowerment Process™, Jamelle works with leaders to help them reconnect with themselves in a way that fuels resilience, strengthens relationships, and sustains performance, especially in a workplace that's evolving faster than ever with AI. Because in a world driven by data and automation, the real advantage isn't more logic - it's deeper emotional connection.
 
On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Jamelle Lindo, EQ Executive Coach and Founder of PARADIGM People Development, about leading with emotional empowerment in the age of AI. Join us as we explore how emotional avoidance quietly impacts decision-making, why high performers often tie their worth to achievement, and what it takes to stay grounded and human as the pace of change accelerates. 
 
Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 
🎙️ Recognizing emotional avoidance patterns that quietly hold back your leadership
🎙️ Engaging with emotions as data instead of distractions in high-pressure moments
🎙️ Developing awareness of the thoughts and stories shaping your reactions
🎙️ Regulating your nervous system to lead with clarity during constant change
🎙️ Cultivating internal sources of confidence beyond external achievement
 
Jamelle Lindo helps leaders become emotionally empowered to build resilient, human-centered teams that avoid burnout, drive sustainable growth, and adapt swiftly to change, through his proven Emotional Empowerment Process™.
 
If you're looking to lead with more courage, clarity, and humanity in an AI-driven world, then this episode is for you!
 
If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.  
 
🎧 Listen to the episode: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/ 
 
For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above. 
 
Jamelle's contact information:
Website 
LinkedIn 
YouTube
Other: Vimeo
 
Lindsay's contact information:
To book a discovery call 
E-mail
Website
Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict
LinkedIn 
Previous podcast episodes

Change at work is often treated like a checklist: new strategy, new structure, new expectations. But what rarely gets named is what people are actually losing along the way: certainty, identity, trust, and sometimes even a sense of belonging. When leaders move too fast and skip the human side of organizational change, the cost shows up quietly through employee burnout, disengagement, and resistance that feels hard to explain.
 
That's where Myriane Ouellette comes in. 
 
As a leadership strategist at O Strategies, she helps leaders across sectors navigate complex change management while supporting their teams' well-being and resilience. Drawing from deeply personal experiences and years of supporting organizations through transformation, Myriane reminds us that change is never just technical - it's emotional, relational, and human-centered.
 
On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Myriane Ouellette, Owner and CEO at O Strategies, about why so many change initiatives fail when leaders ignore the human experience behind them. Join us as we learn how grief and loss show up at work, why "resistance" is often a signal rather than a problem, and how shifting from control to stewardship helps teams adapt more sustainably. 
 
Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 
🎙️ Recognizing resistance as unacknowledged loss, not lack of commitment
🎙️ Slowing down to build real buy-in and capacity before pushing for results
🎙️ Shifting from command-and-control leadership to stewardship and care
🎙️ Creating space for honest dialogue instead of avoiding hard conversations
🎙️ Treating burnout as a system-level signal, not an individual failure
 
Myriane Ouellette is a leadership strategist, speaker, and founder of O Strategies, specializing in strategic planning and organizational resilience. Her work helps teams rethink how they lead and navigate change with clarity, courage, and humanity.
 
If you're looking to lead change in a way that protects both results and people, then this episode is for you.
 
If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.  
 
🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/ 
 
For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above. 
 
Guest's contact information:
Website 
LinkedIn 
YouTube
Facebook 
Instagram 
 
Lindsay's contact information: 
To book a discovery call 
E-mail
Website
Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict
LinkedIn 
Previous podcast episodes

Some bosses don't just manage - they control, manipulate, and undermine, leaving employees walking on eggshells every day. The stress, self-doubt, and exhaustion can build quietly, often making people question themselves more than the toxic dynamics around them.

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett has spent years helping people break free from these harmful work environments. Drawing on her research and experience, she explains how to spot toxic leadership patterns, understand the impact on your well-being, and take practical steps to protect yourself, set boundaries, and plan a way forward with confidence.


On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Dr Laura Hambley Lovett, Organizational Psychologist and Author of I Wish I'd Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, about practical strategies for navigating and escaping a toxic boss. Dr. Lovett shares how to distinguish a truly toxic leader from a merely difficult one, maintain control over your work life, and create actionable steps for recovery or exit. 
 
Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 
🎙️ Identifying toxic versus difficult boss behaviors quickly
🎙️ Setting firm boundaries while staying effective at work
🎙️ Planning a step-by-step exit strategy to regain control
🎙️ Seeking support through mentors, colleagues, or therapy
 
Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is an organizational psychologist and expert on workplace culture, career development, toxic leadership, and burnout. She is the author of several books, including I Wish I'd Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss (She Writes Press; January 13, 2026).
 
If you're seeking clarity, confidence, and practical ways to escape a toxic boss, this episode is for you.


If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.  
 
🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/ 
 
For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above. 
 
Dr Laura's contact information:
Website
Book
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Other: Tiktok
 
Lindsay's contact information:
To book a discovery call 
E-mail
Website
Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict
LinkedIn 
Previous podcast episodes

From coaching a four-star general to navigating a toxic corporate culture where retaliation, exclusion, and silencing were part of daily life, Kelly Meerbott has seen leadership at its most extreme. Just like most leaders and employees, she has experienced what it feels like when ideas are dismissed, confidence erodes, and fear quietly takes over the workplace.
 
Kelly's journey shows how the absence of psychological safety can crush potential and morale, and how fostering it can transform teams, spark innovation, and bring out the very best in people. Her story proves that when leaders prioritize trust, empathy, and open communication, extraordinary results are possible.

On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Kelly Meerbott, Award-Winning Executive Coach and Founder at You - Loud & Clear, about unlocking leadership excellence through psychological safety. Kelly shares practical strategies for leaders to foster trust, empathy, and open communication, and explores the personal and organizational barriers that often prevent teams from thriving. 
 
Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 
🎙️ Fostering team dialogue by asking what employees need to feel psychologically safe
🎙️ Creating shared agreements to hold your team accountable to safety standards
🎙️ Modeling self-awareness and personal healing to strengthen leadership presence
🎙️ Maintaining personal control in conflict with calm, deliberate communication
🎙️ Documenting interactions meticulously to navigate unsafe environments effectively
 
Kelly Meerbott, PCC, CBTI, is an award-winning executive coach who helps high-level leaders harness emotional intelligence to unlock their fullest potential. Through transformational coaching, Kelly fosters psychological safety and empowers leaders to create inclusive, high-performing cultures.
 
If you're looking to cultivate trust, resilience, and high-performing teams, then this episode is for you!
 
If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.  
 
🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/ 
 
For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above. 
 
Kelly's contact information:
Website 
Books
LinkedIn
Facebook 
X/Twitter
Instagram
 
Lindsay's contact information: 
To book a discovery call 
E-mail
Website
Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict
LinkedIn 
Previous podcast episodes