In Business, No Bad or Good News; Simply News

In business, there is no such thing as bad news. And conversely, there is no such thing as good news. In business, news is simply news – no modifier needed.

Often, I'll get this from someone: "I've some bad news to share."

Guess what happens? The air gets sucked out of the room, and everyone gets a pit in their stomach, waiting to hear whatever information will supposedly rock their day into the ditch. Talk about a buzz kill.

Similarly, people love to say, "I've got good news to share," only to set our expectations through the ceiling. And more often than not, the magnitude of the news is marginal, not enough to pop a cork over.

Knowing how to project and manage expectations for those around you is a critical business skill set. Doing so poorly will erode the value of the information you present and potentially give others a reason to question your ability to convey information accurately. Crying wolf gets old.

News is news – nothing more. How we decide to deal with the information is what matters the most. And as a leader, your coworkers will key off how you respond to information.

I once worked with someone who said, "Bad news is just another word for opportunity." As odd as this sounded to my young ears, he was right. No matter what would happen, he'd never moan or feel sorry for himself. Instead, he'd pause, listen, ask a few more questions, and then consider what the information meant to the organization. And before anyone could drift off into self-pity land, he'd ask us, "Okay, now how do we use this opportunity to our advantage?"

This turned out to be one of the best lessons I ever learned—it put me in control of my emotions and actions. By doing so and not letting my feelings drag me down a road of "woe is me" mentality, my mind began going right to finding a productive use of the information. And guess what? I immediately felt better, having already got to work on the results of the circumstances.

But let's keep even this in perspective—we can be neither Eeyore nor Tigger. Instead, we must find a productive balance between recognizing information as facts, considering opportunities, and acting. Action tends to elevate emotions and wash away negative feelings, so our focus is now on using the information as a tool to build something new or different.

An active leader is constantly looking for information to help guide them. No matter how presented (good or bad news), information is simply another batch of news to digest, consider, and act upon.

Learn to view information as news, neutral of good or bad. And in doing so, you will become the level-headed leader people look to during the most challenging times. People seek out those who can calmly think through the most difficult situations. Become one of those people – because news is just news. What happens next is what truly matters. ?

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