ABSTRACT
The author opened her mouth to make a retort, defensively: to the woman who had stormed late into the departmental meeting and scathingly challenged her to explain the method she was attempting to use to make a decision on resource allocation. No matter that she had pre-circulated an agenda and documentation, had consulted on the proposed method, and believed she had an open door policy for anyone to come and discuss things. Recognising a connection between the threat to her self-control and holding true in how she responded, the author found Kathryn Goldman Schuyler's ideas of integrity very helpful, in the sense of "the capacity to hold one's shape" despite high levels of stress. She came to understand that the combative pattern of interactions had become entrenched and affected not just her, as the manager, but other organization members who might want to voice dissenting views.
