Question: Thanks to your effective leadership skills, you didn't take long to move up to a management position in Chargify's human resources (HR) department. Use what you've learned about negative messages to address these communication dilemmas.

1.Another manager stopped by this morning with a request to borrow two of your best employees for a three-week Under normal conditions, you wouldn't hesitate to help, but your team has its own scheduling challenges to deal with. Plus, this isn't the fi rst time this manager has run into trouble, and you are confi dent that poor project management is the reason. Which of the following is the most diplomatic way to state your refusal while uggesting that your colleague's management skills need improvement?

a. With the commitments we've made on our own projects, won't be able to bail you out this time.

b. I sympathize with the trouble you've gotten yourself into again, I really do, but the commitments we've made on our own projects prevent us from releasing any employees for temporary assignments.

c. The commitments we've made on our own projects prevent us from releasing any workers for emporary Assignme ts. However, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the techniques I've been using to manage project workloads.

d. Instead of shifting resources around as usual, why don't we meet to discuss some new strategies for staffing and project management?

2. Although your project management skills are quite good, you do occasionally run into unforeseen circumstances that lead to less-than-ideal results. Halfway through the installation of a new applicant tracking system, you realized that you underestimated the complexity of linking this new technology to the company's information systems. You now have the unpleasant task of explaining to your boss that the project will be coming in at least 20 percent over budget and possibly as high as 30 percent over. Which of the following is the best way to begin an email message to your boss?

a. I messed up, big time. The applicant tracking project is going to come in over budget.

b. The applicant tracking project is going to come in at least 20 percent over budget and possibly as much as 30 percent over.

c. I recently discovered that linking the applicant tracking to our existing IT systems was more complicated than anyone realized when we established the budget for this project. As a result of the extra work required to customize the software, the project is going to run 20 to 30 percent over budget.

d. I recently discovered that linking the applicant tracking system to our existing IT systems was more complicated than anyone realized when we established the budget for this project. The fact that there is extra work is not really my fault, per se, since it would've been necessary in any case, but as a result of the extra work required to customize the software, the project is going to run 20 to 30 percent over budget.

3. You've found it easy to say "yes" to recommendation letter requests from former employees who were top performers, and you've learned to say "no" to people who didn't perform so well. The requests you struggle with are from employees in the middle, people who didn't really excel but didn't really cause any trouble, either. You've just received a request from an HR specialist who falls smack in the middle of the middle. Unfortunately, he's applying for a job at a fi rm that you know places high demands on its employees and generally hires the best of the best. He's a great person, and you'd love to help, but in your heart, you know that if by some chance he does get the job, he probably won't last. Plus, you don't want to get a reputation in the industry for recommending weak candidates. How do you set the stage for the negative news?

a. As your former manager, I'd like to think I can still look out for your best interests, and I'm sorry to say, but based on what I know about the position you're applying for, this might not be the best career move for you at this point.

b. In my view, the responsibility of writing a letter of recommendation goes beyond simply assessing a person's skills; it must consider whether the person is applying for the right job.

c. One of the most important factors I consider when deciding whether to endorse an applicant is whether he or she is pursuing an opportunity that offers a high probability of success.

d. Writing recommendation letters bears a heavy responsibility for the job applicant and the person writing the letter. After all, I have my own reputation to protect, too.