Renee

“or if the bully denies the behavior, give examples. Understand that you may not get the bully to back down and agree that the behavior was out of line. Be prepared to offer your resolution by stating specifically how you expect to be treated. If the bullying continues, document each incident. Your documentation should speak for itself so include date and time, what the person said or did, and if there were any witnesses to the conversation.”
― Renée Evenson, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People: Over 325 Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases for Working with Challenging Personalities

“Whenever someone criticizes you, view the criticism a growth opportunity. Analyze the criticism. If it's valid, decide what you can do to improve. If you need additional training to correct the problem, ask for it. If the criticisms continue and have no validity, you can continue ignoring the criticizer, continue thanking the person for his or her opinion, or decide to confront the person. Before entering into a conflict resolution discussion, think through the likely conversation. You may catch the criticizer off guard, and the person may respond as Mark did by brushing off the criticisms as jokes. Don't let the person off the hook or the behavior is apt to continue. Make sure the person understands why the criticisms create a problem for you. State specifically how you expect to be treated. Agree on a resolution and offer a phrase of reconciliation.”
― Renée Evenson, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People: Over 325 Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases for Working with Challenging Personalities

“Vhalla knew she would get such a reaction, but she had no idea why. She took a deep breath, bracing herself. “Can crystals be used to make weapons?”
― Elise Kova, Earth's End

“Vince replied: “If you meant that as a joke, I now have a better understanding of where you were coming from. (understanding) And, my understanding is that your idea of joking is to call someone out in front of other people.” Mark shrugged and laughed uneasily.”
― Renée Evenson, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People: Over 325 Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases for Working with Challenging Personalities