Perspective Taking
You want to watch a superhero movie, but your friend has had a really stressful day and says they just want to watch something quiet and funny.
Question: Why might your friend want a different movie, and what should you do?
They are having a bad day.
You are working in a group and two of your group members start arguing loudly about who gets to write on the poster board. No work is getting done.
Question: What is a fair way to solve this conflict so the group can finish the project?
Take turns, assign roles, etc.
You are telling a classmate a long story about your weekend. They are looking at their watch, shifting their feet, and looking around the room.
Question: What are these social cues telling you, and how should you respond?
They want to end the conversation.
You are working at a grocery store bagging items. A customer comes up and says in a frustrated voice, "You packed my eggs at the very bottom, they are going to break!"
Question: What is the professional way to respond to the customer?
Apologize and fix the problem.
Maya says, "I'm so excited, my dog is having puppies this weekend!" You love video games and want to talk about the new game you got yesterday.
Question: What is a good follow-up question or comment to stay on Maya's topic before changing it?
"That's exciting, what kind of puppies?"
Your teacher looks organized but is speaking much faster than usual, dropping her markers, and sighing heavily while setting up the lesson.
Question: What might your teacher be feeling right now, even if she hasn't said it?
Overwhelmed
You are supposed to meet your friend at the mall at 4:00 PM. Your bus is running 20 minutes late, and you know they are already waiting for you.
Question: What is the very first thing you should do to handle this situation?
Let you friend know that you are running late.
You walk up to a group of friends. As you approach, they suddenly stop talking, cross their arms, and take a half-step back.
Question: What does this body language mean, and what is the best move for you to make?
They don't want you joining the group, etc. Take a step back or ask to join the group.
Your boss at your job training site gives you a checklist of tasks. You finish everything on the list, but you still have one hour left of your shift.
Question: Instead of sitting on your phone, what should you say or do next?
Ask if there's anything else to do or find a task that needs to be done.
A group of classmates is talking about the upcoming school dance. Everyone is sharing who they are going with. Suddenly, Marcus chimes in and says, "Did you know that tornadoes can reach 300 miles per hour?"
Question: Why did the conversation feel awkward after Marcus spoke, and what could he have said instead?
He was off topic. He could have said something like "I'm excited for the school dance."
You and a classmate are working on a project. You want to finish it all today, but your classmate says they need to stop because they feel overwhelmed. You feel fine and want to keep going.
Question: How can two people look at the exact same project and feel completely differently about it?
People like different subjects, they might be feeling differently, etc.
You accidentally overhear a friend saying something mean about you to someone else in the locker room. You feel hurt and angry.
Question: What is a calm, mature way to handle this instead of shouting at them or texting something mean?
Let them know how you feel.
You make a joke about a friend's new haircut. They give a tiny, forced smile, look down at the floor, and don't say anything back.
Question: Did they find the joke funny? How can you fix the situation?
They are offended. Apologize to the friend.
Your manager comes over and tells you that you cleaned the tables wrong and shows you a different way to do it. You feel defensive because you thought you did a good job.
Question: How should you respond to this constructive criticism?
Thank them for showing you the correct way and continue to clean the tables in that manner.
Your friend is telling you about a sad situation—their grandmother is in the hospital. You want to show them you are listening and care.
Question: What are two things you can say to keep the conversation going and support your friend?
"I'm sorry about your grandmother." "Let me know if you need anything."
Your brother completely blanks you and walks right past you in the school hallway without saying hi. Later, you find out he failed a math test right before that.
Question: Why shouldn't you take his behavior personally, and what was likely on his mind?
He was upset about his grade.
You lent your favorite video game/book to a classmate two weeks ago. You've asked for it back twice, and both times they forgot it. You are starting to get annoyed.
Question: How can you ask for it a third time firmly, but without starting a fight?
Remind them calmly
Your teacher says, "Oh great, another rainy day recess inside," but their voice sounds flat and they are frowning.
Question: Is the teacher actually excited about indoor recess? What cue told you the truth?
They are upset about indoor recess. They sounded sarcastic.
You wake up with a terrible fever and stomach ache on a morning you are scheduled to work at 9:00 AM. It is now 7:30 AM.
Question: What steps must you take right now to handle your absence professionally?
Let them know as soon as possible that you will not make it in. Make a doctors appointment if you need a doctors note.
You are talking to a peer about sports. You've been talking about your favorite baseball team for 5 minutes straight without stopping.
Question: How do you know if you've been talking too long, and how can you pass the conversation "ball" back to them?
Check their facial expressions and body language for boredom. Ask them a question.
A new student joins your class. They sit by themselves, don't make eye contact, and eat their lunch quickly without looking up. Some students think they are being rude or stuck-up.
Question: What is another, more likely reason the new student is acting this way?
They feel lonely.
You are at a store and realize the cashier gave you back a $20 bill in change instead of a $5 bill. You realize you could keep it and buy something extra, but you know it was a mistake.
Question: What is the right thing to do, and what could happen to the cashier if their register is short at the end of the day?
Let them know that they have too much change. The cashier could get in trouble later.
You are talking to someone new. Every time you step closer to them, they take a small step backward to keep a distance between you.
Question: What boundary is this person trying to set without using words, and what should you do?
They are trying to have personal space. Respect their boundary.
A coworker keeps text messaging you about non-work things while you are both on the clock, and it is starting to distract you from doing your job safely.
Question: How can you tell your coworker to stop during work hours without making things awkward between you?
Let them know that you are busy and that you can talk later if needed.
You are in a job interview. The interviewer asks, "Can you tell me about a time you worked hard?" You start talking about your chores at home, but then you start telling a story about a funny vacation you took two years ago.
Question: How did you lose track of the topic, and how can you quickly bring your answer back to what the interviewer asked?
Refer back to the chores. Try to connect the topic to working hard.