Expertly navigate any workplace conversation and come out on top
When confronted with difficult situations in the workplace, many people are at a loss for words. That’s why New York Times bestselling authors Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine created Lifescripts: What to Say to Get What You Want in Life's Toughest Situations. Using two-color flowcharts, Lifescripts maps out 109 difficult conversations, guiding you through discussion openers and effective responses reach the desired result. This completely revised and updated edition includes nearly 50 new business-focused scripts covering everything from apologizing for a misdirected email to requesting better meeting manners.
Inside, you’ll find scripts to fit any situation you’re confronting at work. Use the signature Lifescripts visual flowcharts to work your way through exactly how the conversation should go. Be it boosting employee morale or getting the raise you deserve, when the time comes, you’ll be prepared not only with the right words and phrases, but with the confidence you need to get what you want.
- Work your way through conversation scripts for terminations, performance reviews, negotiating job offers, asking for raises, and much more
- Learn a unique set of icebreakers, pitches, questions, answers, and defenses for each difficult conversation
- Easily develop a winning conversational strategy using the signature visual flowcharts unique to Lifescripts
- Get strategic tips on attitude, timing, preparation, and behavior to help make any conversation a success
This revised Third Edition of Lifescripts is here to help employees and managers communicate even more clearly and effectively. Whatever the situation, Lifescripts provides a road map to navigate the most perplexing, problematic dialogues for success.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
Part I: Lifescripts for Dealing with Supervisors
1. Meeting Your New Supervisor 3
2. Asking Your Supervisor for a Raise Outside of the Annual Review Process 7
3. Having Your Pay Cut 11
4. Asking Your Supervisor for a Salary Advance 15
5. Asking Your Supervisor for a Promotion 19
6. Asking Your Supervisor for Help with Your Workload 23
7. Asking Your Supervisor to Be Involved in Projects That Provide Greater Exposure 27
8. Asking Your Supervisor for Time to Shadow in Other Departments 31
9. Asking Your Supervisor for More Responsibilities 35
10. Your Responsibilities Are Increased, but Not Your Pay 39
11. Turning Down an Assignment 43
12. Asking Your Supervisor for Relief from a Project 49
13. Asking Your Supervisor for a Deadline Extension 53
14. Asking Your Supervisor for a Transfer 57
15. Asking Your Supervisor for More Staff 63
16. Your Staff Is Cut 67
17. Asking Your Supervisor for a Budget Increase 71
18. Your Budget Is Cut 75
19. Going over Your Supervisor’s Head 79
20. Asking Your Supervisor If You Can Work from Home 83
21. Asking Your Supervisor for a Schedule Adjustment to Accommodate School 87
22. Asking Your Supervisor for Clearer Directions 91
23. Asking Your Supervisor to Stop Micromanaging 95
24. Breaking Bad News to Your Supervisor 99
25. Explaining Rapid Staff Turnover to Your Supervisor 103
26. Warning Your Supervisor of a Potential Client or Customer Problem 107
27. Warning Your Supervisor of a Potential Vendor or Supplier Problem 111
28. Apologizing for a Misdirected Email to Your Supervisor 115
29. Defending an Expense Report to Your Supervisor 119
30. Defending Your Own Performance from Criticism 123
31. Putting an End to Verbal Abuse from Your Supervisor 127
32. Putting an End to Unjust Criticism from Your Supervisor 131
33. You’re a Company Icon Being Terminated 135
34. You’re Terminated by a Friend 139
35. You’re Terminated When Close to Retirement 143
36. You’re Terminated When You Have a Personal Burden 147
37. You’re Terminated, but Are Asked to Remain Available 151
38. You’re Asked to Become a Part-Time Employee 155
39. Asking Your Supervisor for a Job Recommendation 159
40. Negotiating Severance with Your Supervisor 163
41. Giving Notice to Your Supervisor 167
Part II: Lifescripts for Dealing with Direct Reports
42. Meeting Your New Staff 173
43. Responding to a Direct Report’s Raise Request 177
44. Responding to a Direct Report’s Promotion Request 181
45. Responding to a Direct Report’s Request for Time Off 185
46. Responding to a Direct Report’s Request to Hire Their Child 189
47. Denying a Direct Report’s Vacation Request 193
48. Responding to a Direct Report’s Request for a Schedule Adjustment 197
49. Insisting on a More Positive Attitude from a Direct Report 201
50. Insisting a Direct Report Show More Awareness of Ethical Issues 205
51. Insisting a Direct Report Show More Respect for Diversity Efforts 209
52. Insisting a Direct Report Improve Their Appearance 213
53. Insisting on Better Hygiene from a Direct Report 219
54. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Personal Telephone and Internet Use 223
55. Dealing with a Direct Report’s Repeated Lateness 227
56. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Procrastination 231
57. Correcting Repeated Mistakes by a Direct Report 235
58. Insisting a Direct Report Improve Their Voice Manners 239
59. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Personal Use of Equipment 243
60. Requesting Better Meeting Manners from a Direct Report 247
61. Dealing with Criticism a Direct Report Posts on Social Networking Platforms 251
62. Questioning a Direct Report’s Expenses 255
63. Delivering a Critical Performance Review to a Direct Report 259
64. Reducing the Size of a Direct Report’s Staff 263
65. Reducing the Size of a Direct Report’s Workspace 267
66. Apologizing to a Direct Report for Your Own Behavior 271
67. Apologizing to a Direct Report for Unintended Gender Insensitivity 275
68. Apologizing to a Direct Report for Unintended Cultural Insensitivity 279
69. Extending a Direct Report’s Responsibilities Without Increasing Their Pay 283
70. Increasing an Entire Staff’s Hours but Not Their Pay 287
71. Turning a Full-Time Direct Report into a Part-Timer 291
72. Cutting an Entire Staff’s Pay 295
73. Cutting an Individual Direct Report’s Pay 299
74. Sending a Voluntary Termination Hint to a Direct Report 303
75. Terminating a Friend 307
Part III: Lifescripts for Dealing with Office Politics
76. Tattling on a Peer to Your Supervisor 313
77. Telling Your Supervisor That Someone Else Took Credit for Your Idea 317
78. Asking Your Supervisor for Help with a Problem Peer 321
79. Asking Your Supervisor to Help When Another Department Oversteps Their Bounds 325
80. Suggesting Less Drinking to a Coworker 329
81. Putting an End to Backstabbing by Direct Reports 333
82. Putting an End to Harassment by a Coworker 339
83. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Gossiping 343
84. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Brownnosing 347
85. Putting an End to a Direct Report’s Flirting 351
86. Suggesting Better Hygiene to a Coworker 355
87. Putting an End to a Coworker’s Chronic Interruptions 359
88. Putting an End to a Coworker’s Dishonest Behavior 363
89. Asking a Coworker to Treat Your Staff with More Respect 367
90. Asking a Coworker to Stop Backstabbing 371
91. Refusing to Lie for a Coworker 375
92. Putting an End to a Coworker’s Romantic Overtures 379
93. Asking a Coworker to Stop Gossiping 383
94. Asking a Coworker to Come in Earlier and/or Stay Later 387
95. Asking a Coworker to Improve the Quality of Their Work 393
96. Correcting a Coworker’s Mistakes 397
97. Putting an End to a Coworker’s Pilfering 401
98. Asking a Coworker to Accelerate Their Work 405
99. Asking a Coworker to Redo Their Work 409
100. Requesting Better Meeting Manners from a Coworker 413
101. Deflecting a Coworker’s Probes for Personal Information 417
102. Asking a Coworker to Stay Within the Bounds of Their Role 421
103. Asking a Coworker to Cover for You 425
104. Asking a Coworker to Switch Vacations with You 429
105. Apologizing to a Coworker for a Misdirected Email 433
106. Apologizing to a Coworker for Unintended Gender Insensitivity 437
107. Apologizing to a Coworker for Unintended Cultural Insensitivity 441
108. Helping a Coworker Set More Realistic Goals 445
109. Telling a Coworker Their Job May Be in Danger 449
Index 453
