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Chapter Ten
Bad-News Messages
McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Learning Objectives
LO10.1 Describe how delivering bad news impacts your credibility.
LO10.2 Explain considerations for deciding which channels to use when delivering bad newsmessages.
LO10.3 Summarize principles for effectively delivering bad-news messages.
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Learning Objectives
LO10.4 Compose effective bad-news messages in person and in writing for various audiences, including colleagues, external partners, and customers.
LO10.5 Deliver and receive negative performance reviews constructively.
LO10.6 Review bad-news messages for effectiveness and fairness.
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Maintaining Credibility When Delivering Bad News
Honesty and openness are keys
Although people do not like to get bad news, they expect the truth
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Maintaining Credibility When Delivering Bad News
Many assume that communicating bad news to customers shakes relationships and breeds mistrust
Delivering bad news the right way can actually strengthen customer relationships and lay the foundation for increased trust when conditions improve
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Guidelines for Bad News Messages
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Understand How the Bad News Will Affect Your Audience
Delivering bad news often creates stress, anxiety, and other strong emotions
More than with other types of messages, you may need to work hard to focus your message on serving others
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Choose the Right Mix of Channels
Bad news is best delivered in person
This allows rich communication, where you can use verbal and nonverbal cues to show your concern and sensitivity
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Choose the Right Mix of Channels
An advantage to placing bad news in writing is being able to control the message more carefully and ensure that you state the bad news precisely and accurately
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Bad News in Verbal and Written Forms
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Choose the Right Mix of Channels
Severity how serious or
detrimental the bad news is.
Controllability the degree to which
the bad-news message receiver can alter the outcome
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Choose the Right Mix of Channels
Likelihood relates to the
probability of the bad event occurring
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Types of Bad News and Richness of Communication Channels
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Sympathize with the Bad-News Recipient and Soften the Blow
In person, most people make a judgment about your genuine concern for them based on many factors, including your past treatment of them and your nonverbal behavior
You may use a one- or two-sentence buffer to start the bad-news message, which softens the blow
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Sympathize with the Bad-News Recipient and Soften the Blow
Buffer a statement to
establish common ground, show appreciation, state your sympathy, or otherwise express goodwill.
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Buffers for Bad-News Messages
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Sympathize with the Bad-News Recipient and Soften the Blow
Teaser message Signal to recipients that an upcoming
conversation or other communication may involve unpleasant news
Prepares recipients emotionally yet does not reveal specific information
Often written
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Getting the Tone, Style, and Design Right
Aim for a tone of genuine concern in a professional manner
Inject some positive direction to the message, but don’t provide false hope
Use a writing style that is simple, accurate, and jargon-free
Maintain a simple design
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Less-Effective Delivery of Bad News to a Client
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Delivering Bad News in Writing to Colleagues
Mum effect occurs when the chain of messages within an
organization is filtered at each level to leave out or inaccurately state the bad news
The message that top executives often hear ends up being unrealistically rosy
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Delivering Bad News in Writing to Colleagues
In all management positions, you will need to give bad news to your boss, your peers, or those you supervise from time to time
Your ability to deliver bad-news messages constructively will foster a transparent and open work culture.
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Bad-News Message to Employees
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Delivering Bad News in Writing to External Partners
External partners can include suppliers, consultants, or joint-venture partners
You are better off breaking bad news to them in a rich communication channel—in person or by phone
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Less-Effective Bad-News Message to a Supplier
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More-Effective Bad-News Message to a Supplier
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Delivering Bad News in Writing to Customers
Bad-news messages to customers contain the same essential components as other bad-news messages.
When writing this kind of bad-news message, you want to emphasize the options available—solutions the customer has control over.
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Delivering Negative Feedback
Adopt a team-centered orientation
Avoid sugarcoating the bad news
Explain the impacts of the individual’s poor performance on organizational performance
Link to consequences
Probe for reasons performance is not higher
Emphasize problem solving rather than blaming
Be firm
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Giving Clear and Targeted Feedback
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Focusing on Actions and Results, Not Attitudes and Intentions
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Establishing Measurable Expectations
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Receiving Negative Feedback
You will have many opportunities to get feedback about your performance and potential
Seeking and receiving feedback, even when it’s negative, will help you develop the skills you need to make an impact in the workplace and move into new positions.
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Reframing Your Thoughts to Initiate Feedback Conversations
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Reviewing Bad-News Messages
When writing bad-news messages, always reread them several times
Place yourself in the position of the recipients so you can try to imagine how they may feel and react
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Reviewing Bad-News Messages
Consider asking trusted colleagues to review your message and give feedback
They may be able to give you a neutral and objective view of the situation.
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Are Your Bad-News Messages FAIR?
