Steven Brust's LJ (RSS Feed)
03-28-2008, 12:05 AM
“General, we haven’t located the SAM battery in that area yet.”
“What’s your point?”
“Until we find it, the air strike seems risky.* Perhaps the general would wish to postpone it?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, without knowing where–”
“No, I mean, why would you say it?* Are you trying to hurt me?* I spend the last 48 hours putting together a plan, and now it means nothing?* How am I supposed to feel about that?”
“I hear you saying that my suggestion devalued your work.”
“And I hear you saying that my feelings mean nothing to you.”
“General, I think you know that isn’t true.”
“Maybe, but it seems that way.* Obviously, you believe my work was useless.* You should at least say so.”
“Due respect, General, but you shouldn’t tell me what I think.”
“Okay, that was out of line.* I apologize.* But it still seems obvious that you care more about these F-18s than you do about whether I’m hurt.* How am I supposed to feel about that from my own chief of staff?”
“Yes, sir, we need to talk about that.* I understand you were hurt, and I’m not OK with that. ”
“Thank you for acknowledging that.”
“It’s important to me that you know I don’t think this reflects on your worth as a human being . . . .”
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/80697.html)
“What’s your point?”
“Until we find it, the air strike seems risky.* Perhaps the general would wish to postpone it?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, without knowing where–”
“No, I mean, why would you say it?* Are you trying to hurt me?* I spend the last 48 hours putting together a plan, and now it means nothing?* How am I supposed to feel about that?”
“I hear you saying that my suggestion devalued your work.”
“And I hear you saying that my feelings mean nothing to you.”
“General, I think you know that isn’t true.”
“Maybe, but it seems that way.* Obviously, you believe my work was useless.* You should at least say so.”
“Due respect, General, but you shouldn’t tell me what I think.”
“Okay, that was out of line.* I apologize.* But it still seems obvious that you care more about these F-18s than you do about whether I’m hurt.* How am I supposed to feel about that from my own chief of staff?”
“Yes, sir, we need to talk about that.* I understand you were hurt, and I’m not OK with that. ”
“Thank you for acknowledging that.”
“It’s important to me that you know I don’t think this reflects on your worth as a human being . . . .”
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/80697.html)