Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1A brief apology before the meeting could ............... the tension.
Wrong!
Use "defuse" when you mean reduce the danger or tension in a conflict; "diffuse" means spread out.
2After two hours of negotiation, both departments agreed to ............... rather than defend their original positions.
Wrong!
"Meet each other halfway" is the idiom for making mutual concessions.
3The mediator asked the team to stop revisiting the mistake and find a ............... rather than assign blame.
Wrong!
"Way forward" means a constructive next step or solution, which fits a resolution-focused discussion.
4Because both sides acted on different assumptions, we should reframe this as ............... rather than bad faith.
Wrong!
Use "a misunderstanding" when the conflict comes from different interpretations or communication errors.
5When the conversation drifted into personal criticism, Priya brought everyone back to the agenda and kept the discussion ...............
Wrong!
"On track" means focused and progressing appropriately; "on record" means officially documented.
6To rebuild trust, the manager should ............... the impact of the decision before explaining the constraints.
Wrong!
"Acknowledge" the impact means recognise the harm without becoming defensive, which supports resolution.
7Instead of arguing over fixed demands, the facilitator asked each side to ............... the underlying interests behind them.
Wrong!
"Identify" underlying interests means discover the needs behind stated positions.
8Since the email may have sounded harsher than intended, let’s give him ............... until we hear his explanation.
Wrong!
"The benefit of the doubt" is the fixed phrase for assuming someone may have meant well despite uncertainty.
9If we schedule a private call, we can ............... the issue without putting anyone on the defensive.
Wrong!
"Talk through" an issue means discuss it carefully until it is understood or resolved.
10After clarifying the facts, they still held different ethical views and decided to agree ............... disagree.
Wrong!
The fixed conflict-resolution phrase is "agree to disagree" when people accept that no agreement will be reached.
11To prevent the talks from collapsing, the supplier made a ............... and accepted a longer payment schedule.
Wrong!
A "concession" is something yielded in negotiation; a confession is an admission of wrongdoing.
12Before discussing the complaint, we need to ............... ground rules so the meeting does not become personal.
Wrong!
"Set ground rules" means establish agreed rules for a discussion before it begins.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- A brief apology before the meeting could defuse the tension.
- After two hours of negotiation, both departments agreed to meet each other halfway rather than defend their original positions.
- The mediator asked the team to stop revisiting the mistake and find a way forward rather than assign blame.
- Because both sides acted on different assumptions, we should reframe this as a misunderstanding rather than bad faith.
- When the conversation drifted into personal criticism, Priya brought everyone back to the agenda and kept the discussion on track.
- To rebuild trust, the manager should acknowledge the impact of the decision before explaining the constraints.
- Instead of arguing over fixed demands, the facilitator asked each side to identify the underlying interests behind them.
- Since the email may have sounded harsher than intended, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt until we hear his explanation.
- If we schedule a private call, we can talk through the issue without putting anyone on the defensive.
- After clarifying the facts, they still held different ethical views and decided to agree to disagree.
- To prevent the talks from collapsing, the supplier made a concession and accepted a longer payment schedule.
- Before discussing the complaint, we need to set ground rules so the meeting does not become personal.