It takes a lot of talent, to be able to approach a sticky situation/miscommunication, with a spouse, friend, or family member...and be able to not put them on the defence, to take responsibility for your own feelings or potential misunderstandings, and to make sure that you keep that relationship intact. This is a fantastic approach to knowing in advance, what to say
Good concepts and essentially the same language and main points in the book Crucial Conversations. Alternate phrases can also be “ It seems that…” or “It appears that …”. That way you are not stating fact, but just expressing what you observed and how you are interpreting what you observed.