If you are a business owner, office manager, or supervisor you have probably had to be the bearer of bad news to an employee or co-worker at one time or another. This task is not an easy one to do for anyone, at any time, especially if you know that the “news” will be either financially or personally devastating. Even if the “news” is just about something that needs to be said to correct a problem, it can be hard because confrontation is never easy.
So how can we make a tough task like this a bit easier? Here are three things to keep in mind when you have to deliver bad or difficult news.
1. Make sure you are clear and direct. This means that you have taken time to think about the situation you absolutely understand why action needs to be taken and that you can communicate it to the receiving party. Writing notes and spelling it out on paper is a great way to make sure that you will be direct and not be tempted to head down”rabbit trails” taking the conversation in a different direction and allowing for misunderstandings. Use the KISS method (keep it simple stupid) when handling these types of situations. Do not make the situation more complicated or confusing, remember “simple and direct” and stick to it.
2. This one is a little tougher, you need to be able to communicate the ownership of the problem or issue. If the company needs to downsize and an employee is losing their job, make sure you are able to communicate the why’s and how’s, i.e., why does the company need to downsize? What has happened? and then why was I picked to be laid-off? People need answers and they need to be told the truth. People can deal with truth even if they do not like it. It is when we are not told the exact truth that we get really hurt and confused.
3. If someone has brought on their own dismissal or discipline action, then you need to be able to explain clearly “results and consequences” of their actions and be ready to deal with the next step, either dismissal or a progressive discipline policy.
By dealing with “bad or negative issues” correctly you actually make running your business much easier because everyone understands what the expectations and consequences are. If you have open communication with your staff and take the time to reflect on “issues” making sure that you understand what has happened and not to act quickly or irrationally you will be able to make better decisions.
I make sure that I use the 24 hour rule in most situations, that is waiting 24 hours so that I have time to really think about an issue and have understanding of what happened before I make any decision to take any type of action. By doing this I have save myself a lot of grief and mistakes. Remember we are all human and we all want to be treated with respect and care, treat others as you would want to be treated.
“To keep the Golden Rule we must put ourselves in other people’s places, but to do that consists in and depends upon picturing ourselves in their places” ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
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