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Saying the Right Thing
It often isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
Let’s say your name is Chris and you have a friend named Rita. Let’s say you see her right outside of your usual coffee shop, while she’s carrying her latte out and you’re on your way in for your morning pick-me-up.
You say, “Hey, Rita, what’s up?”
She steps out of the way for others and says, “Hey, Chris. My new job is driving me crazy.” Rita’s face is more flushed than usual and she looks like she’s already worked a whole day.
She continues, “Yesterday my boss asked me to find out how to ship a Tibetan carpet from Mexico back into the U.S. and there’s this form that asks all these questions about what the carpet is made out of and what its path of origin was or whatever. It’s a nightmare.” She drags a hand through her hair.
You put down your bag to give her your full attention, “Rita, you haven’t been there long. I’m sure there’s someone else in the office you can ask for help.” It sounds to you like she has a challenge on her hands, but not a huge one.
“No, there really isn’t,” Rita sighs. “This is just the corporate office so it’s just ten of us and everyone else is an accountant or an HR person or a vice-president. That’s one of the many things I hate about this job, Chris. I’m the support…
