Sample Solutions

~ Distilling difficult situations into manageable messages ~

Nasty Neighbor: "My brand new neighbor keeps leaving his trash cans in front of my house. They sit right next to my kitchen window where I work, and the stench is driving me crazy. Not to mention it's such an ugly sight and ruins my beautiful view. I'm getting more irate by the day. How can I express my concerns and not come across as a crotchety old man?"

Bad Boss: "I have this boss who's like a windsock. No matter what any client asks for - however unreasonable - she says yes. She overpromises and then scrambles to deliver, creating emergencies for everyone else around her. Then, she gets upset and rages at me if I cannot get all the unrealistic work done that she has promised."

Divorce Dilemmas: "My ex and I used to get along reasonably well, but lately he is oppositional and negates every rule I make for our kids, even the rules at my house! I try to talk to him and he rudely dismisses my concerns, saying I'm no fun and being too strict!"

~ scroll down for SOLUTIONS! ~

Nasty Neighbor SOLUTION: Say it Smart helped Crotchety Old Man do some research. We didn't want his introduction to new neighbors to be nasty. Turns out, the new neighbors had a new baby and liked wine. He brought over a baby gift and invited the neighbors over to sample a wine he'd made. Later in the conversation, he politely asked if they could put their garbage cans on the other side of their house, and they happily obliged.

Bad Boss SOLUTION: If getting a new job is not an option right now, getting through every day with this overpromising windsock needs to get easier. Say it Smart helped outline expectations and priorities. Next, Say it Smart scripted a weekly one-on-one meeting with the boss to discuss business priorities vs promises, realistic bandwidth and reasonable timeframes. Say it Smart recommended having the meeting on neutral ground, like a coffee shop, to help disarm and relax the boss. After a few doses, Say it Smart's savvy strategy helped put some spine back into that bossy windsock!

Divorce Dilemmas SOLUTION: Since simply talking to the ex was going nowhere fast, Say it Smart helped write a kind note. The note started with a commitment of mutual respect and love for the kids. Then, Say it Smart detailed the ex's strengths as a parent and partner. Finally, Say it Smart asked for a shared understanding of the rules and explained why the rules are important to the kids. The ex, upon reading the note, apologized and softened his approach. Until next time...

HAVE YOU BEEN IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS?