Quantifying the work

One time when my son showed me his homework — a description of the different ways to use animation on the web — I knew he could do better. I didn't say this directly, however, as he can be sensitive about this kind of thing. Like most kids really. Instead, I used  "softening techniques".  

I looked him in the eye and said, "That's really great." I asked him a few questions, and then added "I think you could add a little bit more now, don't you?", emphasizing the "little bit", so he wouldn't think he had to rewrite the whole thing. To make him feel better, I added, "You've got plenty of time until we have dinner." It worked.

What works at home can work in business situations, too. Just remember which quantifiers suggest there is a lot of something, and which suggest there is only a little. (I don't think my son's reaction would have been quite the same if I'd said "you could add plenty more".)

Practise this technique in the exercises on the next page.

Deborah Capras