Lifescripts: What to Say to Get What You Want in Lifes Toughest Situations

480 Pages·2004·12.25 MB·English

by  Stephen M. Pollan

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Self-help/Business $34.95 USA/$50.99 CAN
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Excerpt from Lifescript #1: Asking for a Salary Increase rh
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Icebreaker: I’d like to thank you for the opportunity you and e P
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the company have given me. I recognize that you’ve been very io
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my professional growth tion to the company. . . responsibilities. . .
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What to say to
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Whether you need to ask your boss to stop micromanaging, terminate a subordinate,
confront a backstabbing peer, or cold call a potential client, Lifescriptsgives you the
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most effective approach—and the actual words—to use.
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The bestselling guide to workplace success, Lifescripts has been completely revised a
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and updated, taking a sharp new business focus and adding more than 50 scripts that l t
help you prepare for difficult on-the-job conversations. Each of the 109 Lifescripts i o
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gives you a plan that leads to the desired result regardless of the obstacles thrown e s in life’s
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in your path. You get an icebreaker opener, a pitch, an answer to every question, and y
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a defense for every attack. You’ll also find strategic pointers on attitude, timing, o t
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preparation, and behavior. toughest situations
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From dealing with human resources to closing a deal, Lifescriptsprovides a road map e
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to navigate successfully through the most perplexing, problematic workplace s
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dialogues you may face in the course of your business life.
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STEPHEN M. POLLAN has been a successful practicing attorney u t
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thored many books on business and personal finance, including Die Broke.
Revised
MARK LEVINElives with his wife and two Newfoundlands in Ithaca, New York. with new
scripts • Standing up for yourself
Revised
for the
workplace
with new
scripts for the Stephen M. Pollan & Mark Levine
workplace
7 23812 65437 6
ISBN: 0-471-643769
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Lifescripts
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Lifescripts
What to Say to Get What You Want
in Life’s Toughest Situations
Completely Revised and Updated
Stephen M. Pollan
Mark Levine
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright © 1996, 1999, 2004 by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or
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best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect
to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be
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ISBN: 0-471-63101-9 (trade edition)
ISBN: 0-471-64376-9 (special edition with CD)
Printed in the United States of America
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CONTENTS
Preface: The Continuing Power of Lifescripts xi
PART I: LIFESCRIPTS FOR DEALING WITH SUPERIORS
1. Asking for a Salary Increase 3
2. Asking for a Promotion 7
3. Asking for Emergency Leave 11
4. Asking Your Superior for Maternity Leave 15
5. Asking Your Superior for Paternity Leave 19
6. Asking Your Superior for an Increased Budget 23
7. Breaking Bad News to a Superior 27
8. Maximizing a Performance Review 31
9. Asking for a Salary Advance 35
10. Justifying an Expense Report 39
11. Refusing an Assignment 43
12. Asking for a Deadline Extension 47
13. Asking for Relief from an Assignment 51
14. Asking Your Superior for Help with Your Workload 55
15. Asking Your Superior for a Bigger or More Private
Workspace 59
16. Asking Your Superior for Additional Responsibilities 63
17. Asking Someone to Become Your Mentor 67
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vi Contents
18. Asking for a Lateral Reassignment 71
19. Warning Your Superior of Potential Client Problems 75
20. Warning Your Superior of Potential Vendor Problems 79
21. Asking Your Superior for More Staff 83
22. Advocating a Subordinate’s Raise Request
to Human Resources 87
23. Setting Recruiting Goals with Human Resources 91
24. Protecting a Subordinate from a Possible Layoff 95
25. Defending a Subordinate against Criticism from Human
Resources 99
26. Telling Your Superior Someone Else Took Credit
for Your Idea 103
27. Asking Your Superior to Stop Micromanaging 107
28. Going over Your Superior’s Head 111
29. Complaining about an Immediate Superior’s Behavior 115
30. Apologizing to Your Superior for Your Own
Backstabbing 119
31. Giving Two Weeks’ Notice to Your Superior 123
32. Recommending an Incentive Plan for Yourself 127
PART II: LIFESCRIPTS FOR DEALING WITH
SUBORDINATES
33. Criticizing a Subordinate’s Work 133
34. Turning Down a Raise Request 137
35. Asking a Subordinate to Do Something Not in Her
Job Description 141
36. Announcing a Salary Reduction 145
37. Warning a Subordinate to Stop Drinking 149
38. Turning Down a Promotion Request 153
39. Giving a Negative Performance Review 157
40. Turning Down a Subordinate’s Request for Time Off 161
41. Reducing the Size of a Subordinate’s Staff 165
42. Changing a Subordinate’s Workspace to a Less
Private One 169
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Contents vii
43. Questioning a Subordinate’s Expense Report 173
44. Offering Constructive Feedback to a Subordinate 177
45. Asking a Subordinate to Be More Aware of Ethical
Issues 181
46. Tactfully Suggesting Better Hygiene to a Subordinate 185
47. Demanding Better Work Habits from a Subordinate 189
48. Asking a Subordinate to Improve Her Appearance 193
49. Handling a Subordinate’s Personal Telephone Calls
and Internet Use 197
50. Stopping Backstabbing among Subordinates 201
51. Putting an End to a Subordinate’s Gossiping 205
52. Turning Down a Subordinate’s Request to Hire Her
Offspring 209
53. Suggesting a Subordinate Improve His Communication
Skills 213
54. Handling a Flirtatious Subordinate 217
55. Dealing with a Brownnosing Subordinate 221
56. Asking If a Subordinate Is a Victim of Domestic Abuse 225
57. Apologizing to a Subordinate for Your Own Behavior 229
58. Telling a Subordinate to Be Respectful of Diversity
Efforts 233
59. Terminating a Subordinate 237
60. Sending a Voluntary Termination Hint to a Subordinate 241
61. Telling a Subordinate to Have a More Positive Attitude 245
PART III: LIFESCRIPTS FOR DEALING WITH
OFFICE POLITICS
62. Confronting a Sexual Harasser 251
63. Confronting a Backstabbing Peer 255
64. Ratting on a Colleague 259
65. Suggesting No Further Drinking to a Peer 263
66. Tactfully Suggesting Better Hygiene to a Peer 267
67. Asking a Peer to Pull Her Own Weight 271
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viii Contents
68. Asking a Peer to Improve the Quality of His Work 275
69. Asking a Peer to Stop Gossiping 279
70. Correcting a Peer’s Mistakes 283
71. Refusing to Lie for a Peer 287
72. Asking a Peer to Clean Up Her Work Area 291
73. Asking a Peer to Turn Down Annoying Music 295
74. Confronting a Chronic Interrupter 299
75. Confronting a Peer’s Dishonest Behavior 303
76. Confronting a Pilfering Peer 307
77. Asking a Peer to Cover for You 311
78. Asking a Peer to Switch Vacations with You 315
79. Telling a Peer Her Job May Be in Danger 319
80. Helping a Peer Set More Realistic Goals 323
81. Asking the Information Technology Department
to Be More Patient with Your Staff 327
82. Asking a Peer to Remove You from Her Mailing List 331
83. Asking a Peer to Treat Your Staff with More Respect 335
84. Cold Calling for an Informational Interview 339
85. Responding to a Salary Offer 343
86. Interviewing for a Career-Shift Job 347
87. Responding to Tough Interview Questions 351
PART IV: LIFESCRIPTS FOR DEALING WITH CLIENTS,
CUSTOMERS, AND VENDORS
88. Cold Calling a Potential Client 357
89. Breaking Bad News to a Client 361
90. Refusing a Client’s Request 365
91. Resurrecting a Former Client 369
92. Dealing with a Client Who Is Angry with Your Staff 373
93. Apologizing to a Client for Your Own Mistake 377
94. Pressing a Client to Pay the Bill 381
95. Telling a Client You’ve Increased Your Fees 385
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96. Justifying Increased Fees to a Critical Client 389
97. Closing a Deal with a Client 393
98. Overcoming a Gatekeeper 397
99. Asking a Vendor to Reduce a Price 401
100. Complaining to a Vendor about Service 405
101. Getting a Vendor to Come in with a Very Low Bid 409
102. Asking a Vendor to Accelerate Work 413
103. Returning a Meal in a Restaurant 417
104. Suggesting an Overcharge Took Place 421
105. Requesting Better Service from a Professional 425
106. Terminating a Relationship with a Professional 429
107. Asking a Creditor for More Time 433
108. Renegotiating a Price with a Client 437
109. Explaining a Delay to a Client 441
Index 445