>After they had ranted for about 10 minutes while we just sat back and listened, my colleague started to speak - Very softly and slowly as he always did - "I understand your situation completely, there's so much pressure on you guys to perform and you expect the same kind of commitment from your contractors as you yourselves put in. This was a mistake on our part, and one that we have done a lot to ensure won't happen again" ... He kept going for 7 - 8 minutes after which we were all cuddled up in a ball under a warm blanket. Or that's how it felt anyway. Normally there's a vibe in a room that everyone takes part in, but it was very clear that while the room was boiling, he was in his own bubble of comfort - and he managed to pull everyone in to that bubble.

I wonder how do you learn to do that.