Now that you’ve seen how Julia wrote a BIFF Response, let's look at an exercise you can do:

Jerry and Connie Example

Here's the situation: Jerry writes an e-mail, Connie responds in an angry e-mail, and then Jerry writes his answer.

Jerry writes:

I'd like to have Wally on Tuesday evening, June 14th, to attend the father-son baseball game that our group has organized. I know it's usually your night, but I'd like to have this night. I’m willing to switch with another night in order to be flexible.

Connie writes back:

Jerry, you have not been helping Wally enough with his homework on his school nights. I will end your weekday overnights if you don't spend at least two hours helping him study on both of your weekday parenting nights.

I want you to keep a record of the exact hours that he spends studying while he is at your house.

You know I thought this parenting arrangement would not work out and it hasn't and you know it!!

Life Application: Practice Email

How to complete this task:

Life Application Icon sm-1.jpg Answer this question in your journal. If you are working with a coach your coach will give you feedback on your BIFF Response.

See if you can write a BIFF Response to this e-mail to Jerry, pretending that you are Jerry and you're writing a response to Connie.

Make sure your response is Brief, Informative, Friendly and Firm.