Diplomatic Envoy Mugs

"He's from the U.N. . . . you can tell by the bureaucrats who came with him."

'Surely you wouldn't want me to laugh at your joke if I didn't think it was funny!'

"Can I savor this for a few moments? The ball's never been in my court before!"

'Don't think of it as being a yes man, think of it as being an employed man.'

"They decided giving out pink slips was too impersonal. So now they're blue."

"The kids love it, and it's saved my marriage."

"Be patient. He'll have to visit the water cooler sooner or later."

"Well, it looks like the merger is off."

"I need to see your budget proposal."

"We can waste time and look for a solution or...just find a scapegoat?"

Inclusive speech

'Hey, look, I can stand up and shout, too!'

"I just want you to know that promotion, this office, and those Luna bars were mine!"

'I am willing to concede that the company has been underperforming of late...'

'The toughest things you have to deal with in this job, is feelings and lawyers.'

'You really want that promotion, don't you, Sherman?'

Tug of Negotiation and Conciliation.

"You are being overly-defensive again, Brenda!"

'I went into that meeting with a hidden agenda and then forgot where I put it.'

"It looks like the 'because I say so' has it."

'Here's another one that'll make you blow your stack.'

Career Choices

'To close the deal, I had to make some minor concessions.'

'Would you be interested in attending a stress management seminar?'

'Congratulations Smith, you got that promotion. Commiserations Reid, you got that demotion.'

"How come you always take Amnesty International's side?"

HR - Helping Relationships

"He keeps reissuing everything I take issue with."

"If I can't get a firm decision, I'd accept a wobbly acquiescence."

'You lack the expertise we're looking for, Mr Wheaton - but darn it, I like your attitude.'

'When you asked me over for a home-cooked meal, I assumed you'd be making it.'

Incompatible.

'Gunboat diplomacy won't work, sire -- we're landlocked, remember?'

"I was going to have my people call his people, but I’m pretty sure his people have Caller I.D."

Office meeting