1. You need to give a presentation in two weeks. Someone you used to work
with has recently written an excellent article on the same topic that you have
to present on. You would like to print the article and hand it out to the
attendees at your presentation. How would you ask your former coworker for
permission to do this?
2. Your company has just purchased a new projector for the conference room.
You don’t know how to use it yet, but a coworker of yours has already used it
several times. You would like your coworker to show you how to use the
projector on his lunch break. How would you ask him to help you?
3. Your car is in the shop and you had to take the bus to work. It’s raining really
hard, and you don’t want to take the bus home. One of your coworkers lives a
few miles from you. You want her to give you a ride home. How would you
ask her for a ride?
4. You own a construction company. Your company has just completed an
addition to a customer’s house. The job was finished on time and the
customer is happy. You’d like to put a small promotional sign outside of your
customer’s house that says “Another quality job done by (your company’s
name).” How would you ask your customer if you can do this?
Directions: Read the following situations. For each situation, write what you think
would be a good way to say no.
1. One of your coworkers has just asked you to go out for drinks on Friday night
after work. You don’t drink and don’t like going to bars.
2. You are about to leave for your lunch break when one of your coworkers stops
you. He wants to know if you can review some financial documents with him before
you leave to take your break.
3. You are a graphic designer working as a private contractor. One of your former
clients calls you on the phone. She wants to know if you would be interested in doing
another job for her. You are busy and don’t want the assignment.
4. You work in sales. Mike, one of your coworkers, has a conference call with an
important customer. Since you know more about the product than your coworker,
Mike asks you to join the conference call and help him make the sale. You are
busy and don’t have the time to help Mike.
5. Two of your coworkers approach you and ask if you want to be on the company
softball team. You don’t like softball very much and like to spend your free time with
your family.
6. An acquaintance of yours has just started his own business. He wants to hire you
to design his website. You don’t think it would be worth your time.