British conflict resolution attends to dignity. Approaches that allow people to retreat without public humiliation work better than those that corner someone.
This is not excessive niceness but practical wisdom: humiliated parties resist resolution, resent the outcome, and may retaliate. Preserving face enables forward movement. British culture provides tools for this—intermediaries who carry messages, formulations that avoid direct blame, private corrections rather than public ones.
When resolving conflicts with British colleagues, look for approaches that let everyone maintain dignity. Winning in ways that destroy the other party’s face often backfires; the victory is not actually complete.
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