Tempers have no place in the business world, nor do tears. But what woman hasn’t at some point in her career burst into tears at the office? Tears come naturally to many of us, but you don’t want to be labeled a crybaby. When you feel the waterworks creeping up on you, get out of there. Excuse yourself and go to the ladies’ room until you have gathered your composure. You don’t have to be embarrassed. It is a natural reaction, but men hate it. Candidly, most women feel uncomfortable when you tear up, too.

“I only cry in the office with my door closed [and] on the phone to my mother. You have to do it. You have to channel it however you can channel it,” said attorney Bonnie Glatzer, partner with the law firm of Thelen, Reid, and Priest.

“In our leadership training we have a whole section about what makes women feel uncomfortable and certainly tears is one of those topics. You obviously see tears more with women, and women want to know what to do about it. You can address it and say, ‘I’m feeling pretty emotional right now. I need a couple of minutes, and I’ll be right back.’ If you can’t get over it, explain that this is not a good time for me to talk about this and make an appointment to come back and discuss it later,” explained Carolyn Elman, Executive Director of ABWA.