“I know how excited you were to be offered the new job. It’s too bad the hours aren’t what you were expecting. Talking to your new boss about your hours before you accept seems like a good idea.”What makes this an effective response? Is there anything you would change or add?

Answer:

It is effective because it recognizes both the person’s excitement about the job and disappointment about the hours, and it offers a relevant suggestion. I might add an open-ended question, such as, “How are you feeling about the offer now?” or ask whether they would like help thinking through what to say to the boss.