“Sorry to move this meeting. I had a last minute meeting show up on my calendar.”
“Sorry to move this meeting. An executive put a meeting on my calendar.”
“Sorry to move this meeting. A conflict came up.”
“Sorry to move this meeting. A conflict that I need to prioritize came up.”
“Sorry to move this meeting. A conflict that I want to prioritize came up.”
“Sorry to move this meeting. A conflict that I choose to prioritize came up.”
All of these are slightly different ways to share the same message. Some versions have a strongly reactive bent – “something happened to me.” Others veer toward a more proactive message – “something happened and I made a choice.”
2 reflections –
(1) We can tell ourselves and others many different stories about the same situation. It helps to be thoughtful about them.
(2) If we want to build the habit of being proactive – learning to find the space between stimulus and response – it helps to use proactive language. Words often precede action.
