10:00 AM Wednesday morning, circa 2016. I had just finished giving an update to Directors in which I explained that my project was running late and over budget. It was a high-profile project and the meeting was stressful although there were no 'fireworks'.
The Finance Director caught me afterwards and encouraged me by saying "you're getting good at delivering bad news". Taken aback, I wondered if this was a backhanded compliment, but learned it was genuine. He meant it sincerely, explaining that I was composed and not intimidated to be honest about bad news.
Delivering bad news is never fun or easy. Here are some things that will make it go better:
- Don't ambush - Whenever possible, introduce the bad news at a 1-on-1 meeting with the stakeholder.
- Listen - Let people ask questions or complain without being interrupted.
- Be patient - Let people soak in the the implications of the bad news. On the bright side, they may also be thinking of mitigations.
- Expect grief - Assume people will be angry or sad and need to express that, especially when the bad news makes them look bad.
- BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front. Rip the band-aid off. Say the scary words. The audience will have growing fear and suspense unless you share the bad news in the first 1-2 minutes.
- Give Context - Explain succinctly what happened and what it means. State the facts, not speculation or accusation. Facts are not excuses.
- Cast a Vision - Explain your plan for success. Your next-steps prove you're being proactive and driving the project ahead.
- Give Them a Job to Do - The audience will want to take action so tell them what will help; don't let them speculate. This avoids disruption and converts them from being victims into being allies in solving the problem.
