Escalate the channel, not the conflict

Escalate the channel, not the conflict is a principle of conflict resolution. When a conversation with someone goes awry, switch to a more personal medium of communication rather than escalating (e.g. to a boss, etc.).

Talking privately in person is the most personal, then video chat, then voice chat, then private text chat, then private email, then group email, then public work tracking tool (e.g. issue tracker or code review).

More personal channels allow people to more effectively convey emotions and empathize with each other, ideally avoiding conflicts.

Escalate the channel, not the conflict.