How to release the tension in a heated debate …
Read more thoughts on the art of communicating week-daily at https://michaelgerharz.com/blog
Transcript
Welcome back to
“Irresistible Communication”.
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:Two minutes, twice a week.
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:No nonsense advice on
leadership communication.
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:You're in a meeting room.
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:The air is thick with unease.
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:Everyone's on edge.
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:It's a heated debate
and emotions fly high.
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:Basically, everyone's waiting
for the room to explode.
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:But then out of nowhere, someone
drops a perfectly timed statement.
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:The kind, that's not just
funny, but smart and relevant.
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:First silence.
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:But then, suddenly, the room bursts
with laughter, the tension dissipates,
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:and what seems like a dead end
becomes a moment of connection.
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:In high stress environments, a leader
who can lighten the mood is more
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:than just a breath of fresh air.
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:They become a catalyst for change.
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:They shift the dynamics and align
the team back on the common path.
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:Humor, when used well,
is not a distraction.
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:It's a tool for engagement.
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:But here's the catch:
timing and fit are key.
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:A well-timed joke can turn the tide, but
a poorly timed one can sink the ship.
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:It's also crucial to be respectful if
it's at the expense of someone in the
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:group, the joke is likely to backfire.
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:But if it's about yourself or
maybe ourself, it allows the
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:group to look at the heated debate
from a very different place.
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:The better you read the room
and understand the dynamics,
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:the better you can deliver that
punchline at just the right moment.
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:The person who can break the
tension with humor isn't just
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:funny; they are invaluable.
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:They create an environment where
ideas flow freely, where people feel
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:connected and where the weight of the
moment doesn't feel quite so heavy.
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:Keep lighting the path and
share this with a friend.