Conveying Bad News – A Key Communication Skill

Getting the news out about an organisational rightsizing, merger or acquisition, layoff, or other major organizational change due to economic meltdown can become a real challenge. In most cases, this is a task which is neither liked by the bosses, nor by the employees. Imagine an employee showed up at the office and discovered that he/she is no longer has a job, and on top of that, no one had the courage to break that bad news to him/her. 

Why is it so hard to deliver bad news to others? Perhaps you like to be the ‘nice guy’ and find it difficult to say no, or disappoint others. You may fear that you will become the target of anger and retaliation. Being the bearer of bad news can be emotionally upsetting, challenge our self-image, and disrupt relationships. Sometimes we face situations where our own beliefs and feelings, values and principles are in conflict. Caught in the middle, we might feel a bit ambivalent, or defensive, about the decisions made by the executive team, and yet we are the ones asked to deliver the message to employees.

Bad News is defined as information that has an adverse effect on how a person views the future, and impacts how people think, feel, and behave. How we deliver bad news affects how people interpret information, and how they cope. It not only impacts the relationship between managers and employees, but may negatively impact the company’s reputation. Remember, it’s a small world and you never know where, you both bump into each other in future at any other organisation and another part of the world. It would help if you parted ways peacefully. Remember, delivering bad news well can actually strengthen your relationship with colleagues. Therefore, it's definitely worth learning how to do it successfully!

Known History 

Much of the research on delivering bad news comes from medicine. It's so important, in this context, that the American Medical Association first included it in its code of conduct as far back as 1847.

Physicians and trauma surgeons often have to deliver difficult – or even devastating – news to their patients. We can apply some of the strategies that they've adopted to a business environment.

These findings give a useful guide in the world of business as well. Essentially, they show that your attitude and communication skills have an enormous impact on how your message will be received.

No matter what type of bad news you need to communicate, the five steps below can help you deliver it with honesty, empathy, and grace. In this article, we'll look at the best approaches to use when delivering a difficult message.

It’s an Art

Communication plays a key role here. Most of the new generation of leaders are good at breaking the good news but they do not possess experience delivering bad news. Many of them have received little or no training on how to deliver bad news to their employees. If managers are typically inexperienced and unprepared to deliver bad news, this can become a disaster. Imagine what might we learn from other professionals like doctors, nurses, and law enforcement officials that might help us with this difficult task? Using a structured approach can help you deliver bad news to individual employees in a way that will result in less anger and blame, provide a greater sense of fairness, engender greater respect for you as a manager, and help people deal with change. 

Your Emotional Preparation

Bad news can be stressful for anyone who's involved in the conversation. To manage this stress, it's important to prepare yourself first. Take time to calm your mind, focus, and think about what you want to say i.e. choosing the right words. If you do this, your emotions are less likely to get the better of you during the conversation. By speaking in a calm and clear manner, you'll demonstrate that you're prepared and professional. As such, you're less likely to make the situation worse.

Try to be compassionate with the other people and take time to work on this before you meet with them. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine how you'd react if you were in their position? What might they lose as a result of this bad news? How might they feel? Use your understanding of their perspective to shape how you deliver the bad news.

To explore possible outcomes and to prepare for difficult questions which might come up, consider using Role-Play to rehearse your delivery of bad news. Explore other stress management techniques, such as deep breathing, which can help you calm your body and mind. Remember, the more composed and professional you are when you deliver the bad news, the calmer the other person is likely to be.

2. Your Solution Kit 

Try to identify several solutions before you meet with the other person. This is essential because, once your meeting begins, it might become emotionally charged and you may struggle to think of answers under pressure. However, if you have solutions ready to go, you'll demonstrate professionalism and you'll show that you're focused on moving forward. 

The next step is to identify some solutions, if there are any available e.g. any referrals that you can do to find that person a job elsewhere. You may not be able to make things right, but you can minimize upset.

For instance, imagine that you've got to announce a major change in your organization. Consider coming to the meeting with several ideas on how your team can adapt to this change quickly and easily, and try to identify positives in the situation.

3. Your decision on WWH 

When, Where and How (WWH) are key to such conversations. Privacy allows the other person the freedom to respond and cope in a way that's comfortable for them, which is a key part of helping them to move forward. Turn your cell phone off, and make sure that you won't be interrupted.

Next, pay attention to timing. It's often best to deliver bad news promptly, but without skipping the essential preparation that we have just covered. Sitting on bad news can start rumor mill, and it might also damage your reputation.

Although email is often the fastest way to communicate but it is a terrible channel for delivering bad news. It's best to hold a personal meeting to do this, because you can use the right tone of voice and body language  to communicate with empathy – these subtle signals are often lost over the phone, and are nonexistent with email.

4. Stay original 

When the time comes to deliver the message, try to be authentic and compassionate, and treat the other person with respect and dignity. Don't try to "sugarcoat" the truth; it's best to be forthright and honest about what's happened, and about what you're going to do to make it right.

Remember that your attitude and the clarity of your message are two very important components in this conversation. Be open, clear, and honest.

If you're responsible for the situation, try to explain frankly how your actions contributed to the event. It may help to build trust with the other person by openly communicating what your role was, and by apologizing. Don't try to blame someone else or falsely justify your actions; this is ethically wrong, and it can damage your reputation.

When you deliver bad news, take care to validate the other person's emotions. If he or she says, "I'm angry," try to show that you understand. For example, you might say "I understand that you're angry, and you have every right to be."

If you repeat words and phrases that the other person uses – "angry," for example – it shows that you're listening, that you understand, and that it's OK that they feel the way that they do.

Once the other person has calmed down, ask whether he has any questions about the situation. Use active listening skills , so that you hear and understand what he says, and address any concerns that he may have.

5. Your Positivity Vibes  

If appropriate, try to find positives in the situation: it can help.  Remember the 17th Century Poet John Milton: "Every cloud has a silver lining."

However, be sensitive with this. If the news you're delivering is truly bad, it will be counterproductive to point out positives.

Key Takeaways 

A genuine professional handling such tasks cannot be a management’s postman alone. He/she accompanies his/her two great friends along everywhere. Their names are Honesty and Empathy. We have numerous examples in the recent pandemic where due to budget cuts, thousands of employees lost their jobs.

It's possible that you've experienced a similar situation, or will have to face one like it in the future. By learning how to deliver bad news honestly, openly, and empathetically, you can help to preserve your working relationships, rather than damage them.

No matter what your role is, you've probably had to deliver some form of bad news before. The way that you communicate during these tense situations can affect your career in any number of ways, which is why learning how to communicate this effectively is so important.

Take time to prepare before you deliver the news; this gives you a chance to center yourself, and decreases the likelihood that your emotions will influence your message. Come to the meeting with solutions, and make sure that you're honest and genuine during the discussion.

Learn how sometimes smaller things in our lives make huge impact and you can take some learnings on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and on our official website. Also follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Medium, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan. At Evolve HR, him and his team thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.