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The Power of the Pause: A Simple Strategy for Resolving Conflict
How to De-escalate Tension, Lead Difficult Conversations, and Build Stronger Teams
I was momentarily speechless.
Standing in front of a whiteboard in a conference room at a factory in Seoul, I looked through a haze of cigarette smoke at the 17 chain-smoking men seated around the table. I had just finished presenting options to resolve a costly mistake their factory had made on our order of 50,000 dozen denim jeans.
The first response from the head of the factory group was unexpected:
“How old are you, and are you married?”
My brief pause gave me time to think before responding. That pause may have prevented the situation from escalating.
Our German subsidiary desperately needed those jeans. They represented most of the inventory planned for September. The factory’s error had put both businesses in a difficult position. Emotions were running high, and both sides needed a solution.
Instead of reacting defensively, I asked myself a different question:
How can I align our interests and create a workable plan to move forward?
