Navigating heated debates during strategic planning meetings requires a calm and focused approach First acknowledge the tension and set the tone by emphasizing that disagreements can lead to better outcomes if handled respectfully Encourage active listening—ask each participant to articulate their points clearly and ensure everyone feels heard Maintain a neutral stance as a facilitator, summarizing key arguments and Redirect discussions toward the organization's goals, reminding everyone that the shared objective is to develop the best strategy If emotions escalate, suggest a brief break to reset Finally foster a culture where differing opinions are seen as assets not threats, reinforcing that productive debates drive innovation and growth.

At the start of the meeting, establish clear ground rules for respectful communication. Avoid taking sides or appearing defensive. Slow things down by ensuring everyone feels heard. If debate becomes too heated, take a short break to allow emotions to settle. Use humour( when appropriate) or acknowledge the intensity. Shift the focus from problems to solutions. Always aim to bring the conversation back to actionable steps.

Just vote for solution and move forward. Nothing is more frustrating than lenghtening the debate or creating more meeting around the topic.

Las reuniones estratégicas pueden ser tensas, pero también son una oportunidad para alinear al equipo. Algo que me ha funcionado es replantear los desacuerdos como oportunidades para explorar suposiciones y fomentar conversaciones constructivas. Además, la preparación previa y mantener la calma como líder son claves para reducir tensiones y lograr avances. ___________________________________________________ Strategic planning meetings can get tense, but they’re also an opportunity to align the team. I’ve found it helpful to reframe disagreements as chances to explore assumptions and foster constructive conversations. Preparation and staying calm as a leader are also key to diffusing tension and driving progress.

Stratigic planning meetings in case they become tense, I prefer to practice the following formula: ->to "park the idea that made us tense" and propose to have another meeting in 1-2 days. In this way each party can have the time to think, reflect clearly about the topic and come afterwords with a better approach - an asertive one. -> or use empathy in the meeting and make clear to the other parties that we have the same goal/objective that we want to obtain and being passive-agressiveness stands in the way of obtaining it. -> trying to clarify what made the other parties tense, trying to understand their side, and also arguments. Making sure to take them into account, and make them feel heard and seen.