Resolution took time, but it stayed within structure. No one treated delay as leverage. No one treated escalation as failure. Disagreement existed, but it didn't corrode trust.
Asher followed one dispute through its full arc. Initial objection. Counterpoint. Independent review. A narrow decision, clearly justified. The losing side logged concerns, adjusted course, and implemented the outcome without friction.
No resentment lingered in the record.
No passive resistance followed.
That told him more than the decision itself.
He moved on.
In another region, a senior reviewer stepped back from a call they normally would have handled, citing conflict of familiarity. The replacement was less experienced, slower, more cautious. The process took longer. The outcome was the same.
Asher marked it as healthy.
Authority that knew when not to act was still authority worth trusting.
