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Sample Therapy Script for a Procrastination Scenario   175

                       Interaction                              Process Comments

                       Bill: Should is one of those words with different   Client repeats the
                       meanings. One is a reminder: I should remem-  idea that he shouldn’t
                       ber to buy a loaf of bread. Another is a tyrannical   have to do them and
                       or coercive should. If you think that the reviews   that they are a waste
                       are unfairly dumped on you, that they are a waste   of time. The timing
                       of time, and that you should not be required to   seems better for
                       do them, you might view them as taking time   probing this issue.
                       away from what you’d like to do and feel    Clarify the potential
                       resentful and resist doing them. Another view    key word should to
                       is that you should live up to your standards by   determine whether
                       doing whatever you undertake perfectly well.    it represents an ex-
                       So it isn’t the word so much as its context and   pectation or is used
                       what it means.                           conditionally. The
                                                                waste of time idea
                       If you use should as a reminder, you’ll probably   can be explored later.
                       feel differently from the way you would feel if
                       should meant that you must do performance
                       reviews. Of these three views on shoulds, do
                       any fit?

                       Ted: (Long pause) It’s funny that you put it
                       that way. I think it’s two ways. I resent doing
                       them. But I think that if I must do them, I want
                       to make them really meaningful for my people.
                       I want them to make a difference. I want my
                       people to have new insights into how to be
                       super salespeople.

                       Bill: And when you think you must make your   Ask clarifying ques-
                       performance reviews meaningful, what follows   tion that may estab-
                       that thought?                            lish a link between
                                                                expectations and
                                                                potential emotional
                                                                consequences.
                       Ted: I think they’ll be disappointed.
                       Bill: Because?                           The question invites
                                                                Ted to expand the
                                                                issue and for me to
                                                                better understand his
                                                                perspective.
                       Ted: (Pause) I won’t do well enough. I’ll get
                       criticized.
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