Ch. 11 Bad News Messages – Flashcards
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Maintaining Credibility when delivering bad news
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-Honesty and openness are keys - Although people do not like to get bad news, they expect the truth. - many assume that communicating bad news to customers shakes relationships and breeds mistrust - Delivering bad news the right way can actually strengthen customer relationships and lay the foundation for increased trust when conditions improve
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Guidelines for bad news messages
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-Deliver the bad news in a timely manner - Choose the right mix of channels - Sympathize with the bad news recipients and soften the blow -Provide a simple, clear rationale - Explain immediate impacts - Focus on solutions and long term benefits - State goodwill
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Understand how the bad news will affect your audience
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- Delivering bad news often creates stress, anxiety, and other strong emotions - More than with other types of messages, you may need to work hard to focus your message on serving others.
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Choose the right mix of channels
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- Bad news is best delivered in person - this allows rich communication, where you can use verbal and nonverbal cues to show your concern and sensitivity. - An advantage to placing bad news in writing is being able to control the message more carefully and ensure that you state the bad news precisely and accurately
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Severity
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How serious or detrimental the bad news is
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Controllability
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The degree to which the bad news message receiver can alter the outcome
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Likelihood
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relates to the probability of the bad event occurring
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Components of indirect bad news messages
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- Ease in with a buffer - Provide a rationale - Deliver the bad news. - Explain impacts - Focus on the future (as appropriate) - Show goodwill
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Components of direct bad news messages
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- Ease in with a buffer - Deliver the bad news - Provide rationale - Explain impacts - Focus on the future (as appropriate) - Show goodwill
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Sympathize with the bad news recipient and soften the blow
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- In person, most people make a judgement about your genuine concern for them based on many factors, including your past treatment of them and your nonverbal behavior - You may use a one- or two- sentence buffer to start the bad-news message, which softens the blow
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Buffer
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A statement to establish common ground, show appreciation, state your sympathy, or otherwise express goodwill.
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Teaser Message
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- Signal to recipients that upcoming conversation or other communication may involve unpleasant news - Prepares recipients emotionally yet does not reveal specific information - Often written
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Getting the Tone, Style, and Design Right
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- Aim for a tone of genuine concern in a professional manner - Inject some positive direction to the message, but don't provide false hope - Use a writing style that is simple, accurate, and jargon-free. - maintain a simple design
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Mum effect
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Occurs when the chain of messages within an organization is filtered at each level to leave out or inaccurately state the bad news - the message that top executives often hear ends up being unrealistically rosy.
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Delivering bad news in writing to colleagues
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- In all management positions, you will need to give bad news to your boss, your peers, or those you supervise from time to time - Your ability to deliver bad-news messages constructively will foster a transparent and open work culture
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External Partners
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can include suppliers, consultants, or joint-venture partners. - You are better off breaking bad news to them in a rich communication channel- in person or by phone.
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Delivering bad news in writing to customers
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- Bad news messages to customers contain the same essential components as other bad news messages - when writing this kind of bad news message, you want to emphasize the options available- solutions the customer has control over.
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Delivering Negative feedback
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- Adopt a team-centered orientation - Avoid sugarcoating the bad news - Explain the impacts of the individuals poor performance on organizational performance. - Link to consequences - Probe for reasons performance is not higher - Emphasize problem solving rather than blaming - Be firm
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Receiving Negative Feedback
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- You will have many opportunities to get feedback about your performance and potential - Seeking and receiving feedback, even when it is negative, will help you develop the skills you need to make an impact in the workplace and move into new positions
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Reviewing bad news messages
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- When writing bad news messages, always reread them several times - Place yourself in the position of the recipients so you can try to imagine how they may feel and react - Consider asking trusted colleagues to review your message and give feedback - They may be able to give you a neutral and objective view of the situation
