Lifescripts: What to Say to Get What You Want in Life's Toughest Situations

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 

About the Author :
STEPHEN M. POLLAN was a successful practicing attorney for over forty years. He offered pragmatic career, financial, business, and legal advice to individuals and businesses. Pollan was CNBC's on-air personal finance expert for five years. MARK LEVINE lives with his wife and his Newfoundland Moses in Ithaca, New York. POLLAN and LEVINE have coauthored many books on business and personal finance, including Die Broke.??