Sunday, 2 June 2013

How to give bad news

I was reading a Forbes article (Anderson, 2013, June) a few months ago that got me thinking about how we deliver bad news. 

No one likes to receive bad news and no one likes to be the bearer of bad news. 


(Anderson, M, 2013)
Yet, sooner or later, in both our personal and professional lives, we find ourselves (reluctantly) having to deliver the news that nobody wants to hear. 

So how do we deliver this news?    Is it really possible to make bad news sound good?  Or does it lead to miscommunication? 

Do we dress up the news to make it sound good?  Or do we downplay it and hope nobody cares? 

In the coming posts, I’ll share with you what some experts think is the best way to give bad news and you can let me know what you think about the topic.




Sources

     Anderson, Erika.  (2013, June 3). How great leaders deliver bad news. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2013/03/06/how-great-leaders-deliver-bad-news/
     Anderson, Mark (Cartoonist). (2013). Business Cartoon #3624 (Cartoon). Retrieved from http://www.andertoons.com/business/cartoon/3624/i-thought-it-sounded-better-than-out-of-business/
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8 comments:

  1. Unknown3 June 2013 at 10:03

    Wow! I cant wait! I know a few people who are going to have to read this blog!

    I too have found my self in situations where I have to deliver bad news, but I find my self "beating around the bush" when it comes to actually saying it...

    I hope your tips can help,

    Thanks,
    Trionne Phillips.

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  2. Unknown3 June 2013 at 11:59

    Thanks for your feedback Dillon.

    "Beating around the bush" is a common delay tactic that many of us use in delivering bad news. Believe me, I've used it several times myself.

    The challenge with this tactic, as I am sure you know, is that it often leaves the recipient of the bad news confused about what it is we're really trying to say.

    I'll be sure to address this issue in my upcoming post.

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  3. Unknown3 June 2013 at 20:49

    Good to hear from you. Great topic.

    I'm so guilty of this. Some people tend to sugar coat the news and let others read between the lines.

    I prefer to deliver from afar, by phone or email, that way I don't have to deal with it face to face or get strangled.

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  4. Unknown5 June 2013 at 05:53

    Thanks Lisa. Like "beating around the bush", "reading between the lines" can lead to confusion. Still there are times when sugar coating might be necessary - such as when we're facing strangulation!

    Stay tuned for my next post!

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  5. Unknown25 June 2013 at 19:03

    This is so interesting because it can also be looked at as a cultural difference. No one likes giving bad news, especially at a workplace, but as a comparison: countries in the East would usually approach this by beating around the bush- they would make excuses and approach the situation in such a round about way. Whereas, in the West I would think its more direct and straight forward. There is no mincing words. I think it would be very interesting to find out how one would give bad news in the Western culture. Looking forward to your posts.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown26 June 2013 at 07:36

      You are so right Gayatri. It all depends on culture really. I find though that even in the West the beating around the bush sometimes occurs. I guess, nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news regardless of where we come from.

      Thanks for your feedback!

      Delete
  6. Unknown25 June 2013 at 20:49

    Bad news is not easy to deliver. Especially if the person you have to deliver it to is your boss and has a habit of killing underlings, or you just don't want to piss him off. So how do you deliver the bad news? Try delivering it in a good way.....nice topic bro

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    Replies
    1. Unknown26 June 2013 at 07:40

      Thanks Afroz.

      I guess the saying, "Don't shoot the messenger" has its origins in a scenario like that!

      It really does come down to deliver it in a good way I suppose.

      Cheers.

      Delete

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