When Communication Fails, Break the Pattern

The Korean delegation in Chapter 1 was still sitting at the other side of the table. Our frustration about the lack of progress was growing, not in the least due to increasing tension within our own team. During the last few breaks, we had racked our brains deliberating on what the other party really wanted to achieve. The views within our team ranged from an outright “These guys are always asking too much, they really play unfairly” to a more nuanced “Apparently they have not achieved the result they need to report back to their management without loss of face.”