What Can You Do When a Meeting Goes Bad?
SMA News October 2014
Message from the Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance
We've all been there. You're in an important decision meeting and the stakes are high. People are invested both personally and professionally in the mission or activity, in the decision topic and in the outcome.
Tempers start to flare, and soon a heated argument ensues. Participants begin to raise their voices. The argument begins with someone emphasizing his or her individual viewpoint, but, quite often, it dissolves into deriding any opposing viewpoint. The meeting has gone completely off course.
As part of the Safety and Mission Assurance community, we are the safety net for the agency. Arguments and bad behavior jeopardize the ability for us to truly analyze and understand a topic. Important data and viewpoints may be kept off the table and out of the conversation, which can put arriving at the right decision at risk.
Even if it's not your meeting, there are things you can do to diffuse the situation and help get the meeting back on track.
- Try humor. Sometimes a simple joke or humorous observation can diffuse a tense situation.
- Remind people what is at stake. The reason the meeting is occurring is because important decisions have to be made, and the decision has to be right.
- Change the subject. Move to another item on the agenda. Try to establish cooperation and consensus on a less controversial subject first, and then go back to the more controversial topic.
- Suggest taking a break. If it looks as though no progress can be made, taking some time to calm down and reflect can help all the participants. Anyone can suggest taking a break. In my experience, this is the method I’ve seen used most often.
The ability to effectively manage conflict is an important skill for our Safety and Mission Assurance team. NASA sponsors training courses on conflict management across the agency. I encourage you to ask your training office what's available in your area.
Terry Wilcutt
Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance