Communicating Bad News

Dr. Sneha Saxena

Overview
What is bad news?
Steps to convey bad news
Developing negative messages
Risks with indirect approaches to bad news
Adapt your message to your audience
Defamation: how to avoid it in negative messages?
Role of communication in crisis
Communicating negative news to job applicants

What is Bad News?

Bad news is any news that drastically and negatively
alters the listeners view knowing about her or his
future.
News which is unpleasant for the recipient in some
form-loss of finance, job, sale.
In personal life it can be some disease which can take
life. Doctors dilemma to deliver such news

Steps to convey bad news

Five main goals of negative message
1.
Give the bad news
2.
Ensure its acceptance
3.
Maintain listeners/Readers goodwill
4.
Maintain organisation/professions good image
5.
Reduce future correspondence on the matter
Three steps to convey bad news
Step 1: Plan your message
Step 2: Write your message
Step 3: Complete your message

Step 1: Plan your message

Bad news needs analysis, investigation and adaptation

Analyse the situation in which news is to be delivered.

-Communicator should be clear of the purpose and
consequence while communicating the messagestraightforward/more
complicated. (visualizing the
audience
profile)
Identify and gather information your audience will need to
understand and accept your message
-Negative message can be intensely personal to recipients
and they have a right to explanation
Selecting the right medium to communicate the negative message
-face to face interaction is necessary in cases of long term
relationship

Step 2: Write your message

Choose the medium with care when preparing negative messages
Appropriate organisation helps the readers to accept your
negative news

Communication etiquette is very important-tone, type of word

used
-- Avoid you attitude that establishes blame in the sentence

Use positive rather than negative phrase in negative messages

Negative message can require more time to write than positive

messages-words should not be open to multiple meanings or
construct illogical paragraphs

Choosing Positive words

Avoid a Negative tone
I cannot understand what you
mean
The damage wont be fixed for
a week
There will be a delay in your
order
Unfortunately, we havent
received it
The enclosed statement is
wrong
Sorry for your inconvenience

Use a Positive Tone

Please clarify your request
The item will be prepared
next week
We will ship your order as
soon as possible
It hasnt arrived yet

Please recheck the enclosed

statement
The enclosed coupon will
save Rs. 250 next time.

Step 3: Complete your message

Revise the content to make sure everything is clear, complete
and concise-as even small flaws can be magnified as readers
react to the negative news.
simple design and layout is essential in written communication
of the bad news.
Proof reading is essential in negative messages more
Negative message should be delivered promptly and
successfully

Developing negative messages

Before organizing the main points of the message following
should be clear:
Choosing the best approach: when it is appropriate to use which
one-- Direct: When you come right out and tell somebody the bad
new
-- Indirect: When you try to soften your tone to reduce the impact
of the bad news
Variation of cultures-internal and external audiences
Maintain high ethical standards

Direct and Indirect Approach

Ask yourself a few questions before you chose the approach
Will the bad news come as a shock?
-- Use direct approach when negative news will have minimal personal
impact
Does the reader prefers short messages which is right to the point?
-- Boss who prefers short messages-direct approach to deliver news
How important is the news for the reader?
-- Direct when there is transactional problems etc but where there is
emotional investment and the consequence to the reader is
considerable-indirect approach
Do you need to maintain close working relationship with the
reader?
-- Indirect is better to save the good relationship

Direct and Indirect Approach contd.

Do you need to get readers attention?
-- Direct approach can get attention of the person ignoring other
messages

What is your organization's preferred style?

-- Communication style inherited from top management or founder

How much follow up communication do you want?

-- To discourage response from reader-direct could be better

Direct Approach

Makes shorter message possible

It requires less time for the audience to reach the main idea of the
message.

Using the approaches effectively

Direct Approach

Indirect Approach

Firmness is needed

Audience will be displeased

Readers wont be disappointed

Audience will be emotionally

involved
Buffer
Reasons
Bad News
Positive close

Situation is routine or minor

Audience prefers bad news first
Bad News
Reasons
Positive Close

Direct Approach
Open with a clear Statement of the Bad news
-- Give the message in professional tone, without losing your calm and keep

the focus of the news and not on the individual failures.

-- Remind the reader why you are writing this message
Examples:
1.
Please modify or standing order from 3000 per month to 2500 per month
from next shipment.
2.
XYZ is unable to grant your application for Birla Soft Insurance
3.
In spite of everyones best effort to close more sales, revenue fell 12 per
cent last quarter as compared to the third quarter last year.

Provide reasons and additional explanations

--Explanations depends upon your relationship with the audience
Close on a Positive note
--close in positive but still honest and respectful manner

Indirect Approach
Open with a buffer-neutral, non-controversial statement

Use indirect approach when some preparation will help your audience
accept your bad news
It establishes common ground with the reader

Provide reasons and additional explanations

Phrase your reasons to signal the negative news ahead

Avoid hiding behind company policy to cushion your bad news
Well written reasons are: detailed, tactful, individualized, unapologetic
and positive

Continue with clear statement of bad news

To handle bad news carefully

-- De-emphasise the bad news visually and grammatically
--Use conditional statement if appropriate
--Tell what you did and not what you didnt do
--Dont disguise the bad news when you emphasise the positive

Indirect Approach Contd.

Close on a Positive Note
--Builds goodwill
--offers a suggestion for action
--Provides a look forward toward the future
While concluding use the following guidelines:
Keep it positive
Limit future correspondence
Be optimist about the future
Be sincere
Be confident

Adapting to your audience

Cultural Variations
Adapt your message to the external and internal audiences
--Keeping internal audience above the external audience
--Need to adjust the message according to the different groups
within the external audience
Maintain High Standards of Ethics and Etiquette
-- delaying the delivery of the negative news can be unethical in
many situations- as human tendency is to delay, downplay or
distort negative news
-- Negative news situations can put your sense of self-control and
business etiquette to test

Creating Negative Messages

A.

B.

Choose the Best Approach

Use Direct approach--when the audience is aware,

--when reader is not emotionally involved in the message,
-- when the reader prefers bad news first,
-- when you know firmness is necessary and you want to discourage
response.
Use Indirect approach when the news is likely to come as a shock or
surprise and you want to maintain good relationship with the audience.

For an Indirect Approach, Open with an Effective Buffer

Establish common ground with audience

Validate the request, if you are responding to request
Dont underestimate the readers concern
Dont mislead the reader into thinking that the coming news might be
positive

Creating Negative Messages Contd.

C. Provide reasons and additional information

Explain why the news is negative

Adjust the amount of detail to fit the situations and the audience

Avoid explanations when the reasons are confidential, excessively

complicated or irrelevant for reader

If appropriate, explain how you plan to correct or respond to the

negative news

Seek the advice of company lawyers if you are unsure what to say
D. Clearly State the Bad news

State the bad news as clearly and positively as possible, using

tactful words

De-emphasise the bad news by minimizing the space devoted to it,

subordinating it, or embedding it.

Creating Negative Messages Contd.

If your response might change in future if circumstances change,

explain the condition to the reader
Emphasise on what you can or have done rather than what you
cant or wont do.

E. Close on a Positive Note

Express best wishes without being falsely positive
Suggest actions which readers might take, if required and provide
them with necessary information.
Encourage further communication only if you are willing to
discuss the situation at a later stage
Keep positive outlook on the future

Some examples
Refusing Routine Requests
Handling bad news about transactions
Refusing claims and requests for adjustments
--Avoid defamation by not responding emotionally
Sending negative organizational news
-- Communicating under normal circumstances
-- communicating under crisis
Sending negative employment messages

Questions