{"id":5920,"date":"2014-03-13T11:32:57","date_gmt":"2014-03-13T11:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=5920"},"modified":"2014-03-13T11:32:57","modified_gmt":"2014-03-13T11:32:57","slug":"how-to-navigate-any-awkward-situation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/03\/how-to-navigate-any-awkward-situation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to navigate any awkward situation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"03-86796517_medium\"<\/a>Have you ever run into an acquaintance at a party\u2026and forgotten his name? Or, congratulated a neighbor on her pregnancy, only to discover she’s not expecting?<\/p>\n

Even if you pride yourself on your social graces, every once in a while you’re likely to find yourself in a cringe-worthy situation with no graceful way out.<\/p>\n

Since we’ve all been there, we spoke with experts to find out the best way to handle eight common instances in which etiquette may have (temporarily) escaped you. Read on to learn how to open-mouth-and-remove-foot without ruining a friendship, relationship and more.<\/p>\n

1. You run into an acquaintance and would love to introduce him to your husband, but you can\u2019t remember his name.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Psychotherapist Karol Ward, a licensed clinical social worker and author of Worried Sick, offers two solutions: If there\u2019s time, nudge your husband to indicate that you\u2019ve blanked on the gentleman’s name so he can jump in with, \u201cHi! I\u2019m Sue\u2019s husband, Joe!\u201d Your acquaintance should step up and offer his name in return. If he doesn\u2019t\u2014or if your husband isn\u2019t picking up your signals\u2014your best option is \u201cstraight-up honesty coupled with humor,\u201d suggests Ward. Try: \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m forgetting your name, but with the day I\u2019ve had, I\u2019m surprised I can remember my own. Please forgive me!\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Your sister-in-law is constantly giving you unsolicited parenting advice\u2014and she\u2019s desperate to argue her case in front of a crowd.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cKids don\u2019t really need vaccines!\u201d she says at a family picnic, or \u201cSpanking is a good thing!\u201d she announces over Thanksgiving dinner, just begging you to argue back. But no matter the topic, do your best not to engage her, says Jill Spiegel, author of How To Talk To Anyone About Anything. \u201cPeople give advice to feel helpful,\u201d Spiegel says. Acknowledge her advice, then change the topic quickly: \u201cReally? That\u2019s very interesting and I\u2019d love to read more on it. Speaking of reading, did you see that article about the royal family?\u201d<\/p>\n

3. You show up for a blind date and don’t like what you see.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No one likes to feel rejected out of the gate, so it\u2019s important to be pleasant and courteous in this situation, says Ward. \u201cIf your date has made reservations for dinner or an event, then find the reserve in yourself to follow through and be friendly.\u201d Steer the conversation toward general, nonintimate topics and make sure to keep some physical distance between the two of you. Offer (more than once) to pay your own way, but don\u2019t make things more awkward by being forceful or overly insistent. Say “thank you” at the end of the night, and do your best to avoid comments like, \u201cWe should do this again!\u201d if you really don\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n

4. You send your husband an e-mail complaining about your neighbor only to realize the e-mail was also sent to the person you wrote nasty things about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sooner you confront the offended party, the better, says publicist Amy Ogden. In this situation it\u2019s your job to accept the blame and apologize profusely. Explain that the hurtful things you said \u201cwere not genuine feelings, but reactions in a moment of frustration.\u201d Your neighbor may not forgive you, but at the very least she won\u2019t be seething for days. And, the next time you need to vent, call your husband rather than putting angry thoughts into writing.<\/p>\n

5. You mother-in-law buys an outfit for your tween that you don’t think is appropriate. Naturally your daughter loves it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you think you can have a civil conversation with your mother-in-law on the matter, your best bet is to make an alliance. It would be great to have her on your side, especially when your tween isn\u2019t. Tell your mother-in-law how much you appreciate the gesture and that your daughter was so excited to receive the outfit. \u201cThen move into but-I-need-your-help mode,\u201d suggests Ward. Express your concern about the unwanted attention your tween might receive while wearing the outfit and ask your mother-in-law for her help in setting boundaries in terms of clothes and makeup. If you know your mother-in-law won\u2019t want to hear it, then you need to lay down the law with your daughter. Let her wear the outfit\u2014as long as she wears a pair of tights or a T-shirt (or both) underneath<\/p>\n

6. A friend asks what you think of her new boyfriend, who you think is a creep.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A gentle approach is best here, says Ward. Avoid a tirade about how awful he is; if she\u2019s head over heels, she\u2019s just going to start arguing his good points\u2014and no one\u2019s going to win that argument, says Ward. If she asks, \u201cWhat do you think of my boyfriend?\u201d turn the focus back on her by asking, \u201cHow are things between you guys? Do you like how he treats you?\u201d If she needs to get something off her chest, she\u2019ll take the cue. If she brings up something negative, ask, \u201cHow does that make you feel?\u201d With a little prodding, she should come to the conclusion that he\u2019s a jerk without you needing to spell it out for her. However, if she doesn’t say anything about him not treating her well, then it’s best for you not to say anything either.<\/p>\n

7. You ask a neighbor when her due date is. Her response: \u201cI\u2019m not pregnant.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eden King, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at George Mason University and coauthor of How Women Can Make It Work, suggests two strategies. You could turn the moment into a personal disclosure, which can boost your friendship: \u201cI\u2019m such an insensitive idiot. Someone asked me the same thing last week.\u201d However, if you\u2019re rail-thin or post-menopausal, this will make things more awkward. Instead, try buffering the blow with praise, which everyone likes. \u201cWow, you must have fallen in love or won the lottery lately, because you\u2019re absolutely glowing.\u201d In the future, save baby-on-the-way talk for women who\u2019ve announced their pregnancy.<\/p>\n

8. A coworker keeps inviting you out for drinks, but you hate being around her after she\u2019s had a couple glasses of wine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Continually rejecting her might not get your message across, especially if you\u2019ve always been game for after-work cocktails in the past. If this is someone you need to maintain an office relationship with (in other words, ignoring her is not an option), it\u2019s in your best interest to be honest and direct, says Ward. Buffer your criticism with compliments and emphasize that you\u2019re concerned and care about her. \u201cI love your bubbly personality, but after a few drinks, lately I feel like you get angry (or sloppy or emotional). Do you need to talk about anything?\u201d Regardless of how she reacts (either she wants to talk about it or she doesn\u2019t), the conversation should redefine your relationship for the better.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: womansday.com<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever run into an acquaintance at a party\u2026and forgotten his name? Or, congratulated a neighbor on her pregnancy, only to discover she’s not expecting? Even if you pride yourself on your social graces, every once in a while you’re likely to find yourself in a cringe-worthy situation with no graceful way out. Since […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[36],"yoast_head":"\nHow to navigate any awkward situation - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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