Say It Well: Scripts for Hard Conversations
40 ready-to-adapt scripts for hard talks at work and at home, plus a preparation worksheet, a pause-and-ask method, a worked pay example and a tracker.
By Whole Life HQ5 parts · about 6,200 words · printable · read online
Who it's for
For anyone about to ask about pay, say no, give feedback, set a family boundary or talk money with a partner, and wanting words to start.
What problem it helps with: 40 ready-to-adapt scripts for hard talks at work and at home, plus a preparation worksheet, a pause-and-ask method, a worked pay example and a tracker.
What you receive
- 40 scripts: open, say, ask, and a push-back line
- Conversation preparation worksheet with walk-away point
- Pause-and-ask method for tense moments
- Worked pay conversation and printable conversation tracker
All 5 parts, in reading order
- Part 1: How to use this guide
- Part 2: Prepare, then pause and ask
- Part 3: Scripts for work (1 to 20)
- Part 4: Scripts for home (21 to 40)
- Part 5: A worked example, your tracker, and next steps
Look inside
The first page, word for word.5 parts in total.
Part 1: How to use this guide
Welcome. This guide gives you words for conversations that many people put off: asking about pay, saying no to more work, telling someone something they may not want to hear, and setting a limit with a relative or a partner.
You will find 40 short scripts, a preparation worksheet, a simple method for slowing a conversation down, a fully worked example, and a tracker for afterward. Everything is written to be read quickly, borrowed, and changed into your own voice.
What this guide does and does not do
It does:
- Give you 40 ready-to-adapt scripts, 20 for work (Part 3) and 20 for home (Part 4).
- Give you a one-page preparation worksheet so you know your goal, the other person's likely interests, and your walk-away point before you start (Part 2).
- Teach a short "pause and ask" method you can use in any conversation, including ones that do not have a script here.
- Show one full pay conversation from preparation to follow-up (Part 5).
- Give you a conversation tracker so you can see what you said, what happened, and what you want to try next time (Part 5).
What is in each part
- How to use this guide
- Prepare, then pause and ask
- Scripts for work (1 to 20)
- Scripts for home (21 to 40)
- A worked example, your tracker, and next steps
Made and checked by
Written by the Whole Life HQ team.
Expert review by an HR professional has not happened yet. Until it has, treat this as general information, not professional advice.
How you get it
- In your libraryAfter you pay, it is in your library straight away.
- Any devicePhone, tablet or computer. Print it if you like paper.
- Yours to keepIt stays in your account, and you can come back any time.
