"THIS IS MY F****** PROJECT!"

These words were screamed at me by an ex-client after we wrapped a massive editing project. At the time, it was the largest post-production pipeline I'd ever managed: hours of 4k footage, motion graphics projects in the double digits, and so much stock that I was hearing copyright free music in my sleep.

Once it went live, I wrote a blog post about it being my biggest project ever, thanked the client for their business, and directed readers to their website. Ten minutes later, I was utilizing the customer service skills I learned waiting tables in college.

Apologize, Acknowledge, Advance — these are three steps to workplace de-escalation.

Apologize — Start by saying sorry. This will catch most people off-guard, especially if they're primed for a fight.

Acknowledge — Follow your apology with an acknowledgment of the person's feelings and how your actions could have contributed.

Advance — Finish by offering a solution. Move past the issue.

For me, it looked a little like this:

"I'm sorry that my blog post made you feel unseen — let's rewrite the opening line together right now."

Did I want to respond this way? NO WAY, but I've got other projects that need work. I'm not going to spend an hour arguing for $0, because ego is expensive, but de-escalation is free. We got off the phone and I made good use of the "At Will" clause in my contract.

What's your go-to strategy for defusing a tense situation at work? Let me know below.

#entrepreneur #creativeagency #videoeditor #videoproduction