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.

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.??

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 

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