Dramatic People Love Creative Memories

You and I both know people can be difficult… sometimes a little dramatic.

Especially when they’re rewriting what you said, the tone you used, and how they interpreted an honest, gentle conversation.

The most theatrical folks in the workplace are usually the same ones who probably shouldn’t be there to begin with.

As a leader, it’s inevitable: you’ll encounter someone who has their own version of how the conversation went.

Some will say they ‘just misunderstood.’ Others catch 80% but conveniently miss the 20% that mattered.

And every so often… someone goes nuclear.

HR gets involved. They report you. Claim you were aggressive. Claim you said things you did not.

If you’ve experienced this — you’re not alone.

If you haven’t — it’s probably overdue.

At this point, it’s less of a rare event and more of a leadership rite of passage.

Anyone who’s managed people long enough has dealt with it—sometimes more times than they care to count.

Which means one thing:

You can either be shocked every single time it happens… or assume it will, and prepare accordingly.

So the real question becomes:

What do you do about it?

You build a communication process so solid it makes “he said, she said” irrelevant.

The purpose isn't to micromanage every conversation… it's to create a clear, repeatable process that protects everyone, including you.

When you lock this in, three things happen:

1. It Reduces Decision Fatigue You stop overthinking every interaction and changing your approach on a weekly basis. You know exactly how the conversation goes, what comes next, and how it gets documented. That structure buys you back mental energy—and prevents emotional decisions.

2. It Builds Consistency and Credibility

When you handle things the same way every time, your team knows what to expect. If someone pushes back later, you don’t need to defend yourself. Your process—and consistency—speak for themselves.

3. It Gets Sharper Over Time

Every time you run the play, it gets cleaner. You spot gaps, tighten language, and evolve it from your way of operating to the way your team and company operates.

Now, how do you actually create something like this—especially if right now, your conversations feel a little… chaotic?

Here’s one simple process you can start with:

• All conversations happen on video. You record the call and name it clearly.

• After the meeting, you send a written recap. Include what was discussed, agreed on, and the next steps.

• You BCC yourself. Save that thread in a labeled folder—with the recording link attached.

• You ask the team member to reply with “Agreed” or “Understood.” That reply is their confirmation the email was accurate.

This creates a digital paper trail. One that shows what actually happened—not what someone wishes had happened.

It’s the boring work no one wants to do—until the moment they’re really glad they did it.

P.S.

At the end of the day a process is only as good as it’s consistently implemented. Otherwise your ‘process’ is just wishful thinking in a Google Doc.