Presenting Bad News the Right Way: Communicating Through Upheaval

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Welcome to Presenting with Power. I’m your host: Aileen Pincus.

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of giving or receiving bad news at the workplace, especially through the worst of the pandemic. And many of us have stories to tell about the way in which that bad news was presented that made a painful experience even worse.

Whether it’s communicating about pending layoffs, work stoppages, reorganizations, closures, or simply new workplace rules that you know won’t be welcomed, communicating through changes can be challenging for senior managers. If you’re the one having to do it, remember the first rule of communicating bad news: don’t make the situation worse than it already is.

When you are the one communicating bad news, aim to be as up front and plain spoken as you can be. Don’t drag out the announcement you know no one wants to hear, or try to soften the blow by offering a long list of other comments before getting to the bad news. In other words, don’t bury the lead. The truth is, there probably is a lot of anxiety and speculation about what’s going to be said, and the rumor mill has likely kicked into high gear with speculation about what might be happening. Keeping people waiting for bad news doesn’t ease the pain, it prolongs the drama and deepens anxiety.

So If you’ve got bad news to deliver, resolve to deliver it as forthrightly as possible. No matter how uncomfortable you might personally feel delivering bad news, being plain spoken and upfront at a minimum let’s them know you’re not trying to hide from the difficulty, or shield yourself from their reaction.

That leads to rule number two about communicating bad news: don’t make this about you. It’s about the receivers of this news. So as difficult as it is to communicate when you know what you’re communicating will be difficult to hear, resist the temptation to talk about how this news is impacting you. This is not the time for those on the receiving end of bad news to hear about failed efforts to stop the change, or how awful you feel at having to be the one to deliver the news.

At the same time, though, those delivering bad news need to create some space for empathy. No one wants to hear, “I know exactly how you feel” when the speaker isn’t the one being impacted. But allowing time for people to digest the news can help. If there’s anything positive that can be said, now is the time to say it, whether it’s about personal appreciation for their efforts or simply listening.

If it’s possible to transition to any mitigating action that can be taken, any efforts to minimize the disruption they’re feeling might help. If you are willing to serve as a reference to someone who is being laid off for instance, if there is any help to be offered finding other positions, give some thought ahead of time to any general offerings of support that can be communicated..

No matter how uncomfortable you may feel, allow some space for the receivers of bad news to ask questions. Prepare for tough questions and be mindful that your answers have impact and will be shared.

Most of all, if you’re the one delivering the bad news to others, be prepared to shoulder some of the blame as the messenger, whether you deserve it or not. Ducking responsibility for the outcome you’re communicating is just going to make matters worse for those on the receiving end. Again, look for ways of displaying your empathy with those you’re delivering bad news to. Make sure everything from your tone of voice to the content of your speech matches the moment. A flippant comment or attempt at humor to lighten the mood can make matters that much worse for those on the receiving end.

In summary, many executives are going to have to be in the position of being the bearer of bad news at some point in their careers. When it’s your turn, you want to be that executive that rises to the occasion, that demonstrates to others how to be at your best, even when circumstances are at their worst. That’s one of those leadership qualities we all will remember and value seeing displayed in front of us. Don’t be afraid in short, to show your humanity, especially when sharing unpleasant news.

Well that’s Presenting With Power for today. I’m Aileen Pincus of The Pincus Group. Please visit us at www.thepincusgroup.com to find out more ways to power up your communications and for ways to meet all of your coaching needs. Until next time.

Aileen Pincus launched The Pincus Group after more than two decades of communications experience, including as a local and national television reporter, a senior communications director a U.S. Senator, and as an executive trainer at a global public relations firm. She now leads training and strategy for the firm’s clients around the country, training senior executives for Fortune 500 companies, as well as for political and non-profit groups.

As President and founding partner of The Pincus Group, Aileen is a sought after speaker on effective communication for national organizations and forums having written a book for Penguin Press. She is a graduate of California State University at Northridge, School of Journalism and listed in Who’s Who as one of the nation’s most influential people.

Learn more at www.ThePincusGroup.com.