The "Why"
You send a long, detailed text to a friend about a problem you're having. They reply two hours later with just: "I'm sorry." They don't ask any other follow up questions.
What is your friend's thought process & how are you feeling?
You are likely feeling upset and like your friend isn't listening to you.
Your friend could not care about your problem OR maybe they are just busy, overwhelmed or communicate better in person. Think about your friend.
Your boss at a job says: "I need you to inventory the back room, but only the perishables, and let me know if any expiration dates are within the next 48 hours. You are confused what 'perishables' means. How do you show you were listening but also get clarification.
"I understand that I need to take inventory of items that expire within 48 hours but what is a perishable?
Marcus studied all night. He gets his grade back and sees a D . He feels defeated and avoids his friends at lunch. What is Marcus feeling aside from defeated and what can he do besides ignoring his friends.
He likely feels frustrated or maybe even stressed about a bad grade. Marcus could ask his teacher for assistance or see if he is allowed to retake some of the missed questions for partial credit.
Your friend just got their license and you want your friend to drive you everywhere. Your parents are worried about being in the car with a new driver. What are your thoughts?
You may be frustrated but maybe an older sibling or parent can give you a ride.
ou are interning at an office. Your supervisor sends an email at 4:45 PM on a Friday with the subject line "Quick Question" but the body of the email has three "!!!" and asks if you can "hop on a call" before you head out for the weekend.
The "quick question" is actually an urgent problem or a task that needs to be finished before Monday. The supervisor may be stressed.
A group of classmates is discussing a weekend party in front of you. They are making eye contact with each other but not with you, and their voices drop when you get closer.
Why are they not making eye contact or speaking to you?
The plans are only between the group and they may not be willing to invite others.
A teacher says: "Your rough draft needs to follow APA style, but don't worry about the abstract yet; just focus on the core citations and the thesis. You are confused what your teacher means. How do you get clarification?
Ask the teacher if they can explain what 'APA style' or 'abstract' means. Ask if they can show you an example.
Someone spreads a rumor about Chloe. Chloe finds out via social media.. She feels betrayed. Should she confront the person who made the post? How might they react.
You worked hard on a project, but your partner did nothing. You both got a B. You are angry; your partner is relieved. Why do you have different thoughts and feelings?
You are upset because you did all the work.
Your partner is relieved because they did no work and still got a B.
You go into a clothing store 15 minutes before they close. The music has been turned off, the employees are folding clothes at lightning speed without looking up, and as you walk toward a rack, an employee says, "Let me know if I can help you find something specific today." What do they mean?
The employees are finished for the day and want you to leave quickly so they can go home. The offer to help find something "specific" is actually a nudge to get you to finish your purchase immediately.
You’re in an interview. Every time you answer a question, the interviewer looks at the clock and starts clicking their pen rapidly. What is the interviewer thinking or feeling? How could you change your responses?
Your responses may be too long. Make sure you are answering each question in a short (concise) manner.
Your science partner says: "If we don't titrate this correctly, the whole solution will be ruined and we'll have to restart. Watch the solution carefully. You are unsure of what titrate means. How do you ask for help?
"I'm sorry. I am not quite sure what titrate means. Can you help me by explaining it?"
You are scheduled to work but your ride cancels saying that they don't feel good enough to work today. What can you do?
Ask another person or your parent for a ride. If you know how to take the bus, you can do so. If it is in walking distance, you can walk. Call your manager and let them know you will be late.
You see your friend is active on Instagram, but they haven't replied to your "Are we still hanging out?" text from three hours ago. Is this on purpose?
Your friend may have gotten sidetracked and forgot to respond. Give them more time before following up.
Your friend texts you, “Wow, thanks for the invite 🙄” after seeing pictures of you hanging out with other friends on social media. You didn’t mean to leave them out, it just happened spontaneously. How does your friend feel?
They are being sarcastic and likely feel upset.
You finish a presentation you didn't prepare for. A peer says, "Wow, you clearly put hours of work into that," with a smirk and a slight eye roll. What do they really mean?
They are using sarcasm. The peer has noticed that you did not put much time into the assignment.
Your coach says: "Practice is canceled Friday, but we are moving it to Saturday morning at 9:00 AM at the North Field instead of the South Field." What information is important to know? How do you make sure that you remember everything?
1. Practice is cancelled
2. It is now on Saturday morning.
3. Practice is on the North Field.
3. Practice is not on the South Field.
You could write down the information.
The class has a substitute teacher. Most students are being loud because "it's not the real teacher," but the substitute is feeling overwhelmed and stressed. How may you feel? Is it your job to tell everyone to be quiet.
You may be frustrated but it is not your job to tell the class to be quiet.
You are frustrated because a girl in your history group isn't doing her share of the slides. You tell her that you think she is being lazy. You find out later her family is currently moving houses and she doesn't have Wi-Fi at home. How can you fix this?
Apologize and ask if she can meet somewhere where there is wifi to work on the project. Starbucks, the library, your house.
Your close friend has been acting different lately—missing classes, not responding to texts, and sounding down when they do talk. You’re not sure if you should bring it up or tell someone.
What should you do?
Check in with your friend.