Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Delivering Bad News: The Ultimate Template
Sometimes, there's no way around it. Sometimes, you have to be the bearer of bad news.
I'd rather be the bearer of delightful news -- but that's not always possible.
Oh, there's a core contingency of die hard Pollyannas out there -- "Always tell people what they want to hear, and you'll never go wrong."
But that approach is irresponsible. One must tell the truth.
Of course, using the infamous "Communicating Bad News" PowerPoint template isn't the answer. But the template does have one element right --
To begin communicating your bad news, just say it. No couching it with "There's no easy way to put this, but..."
No, you must lead clearly and concisely with the bad news. This is your lead story, so you must state it up front. Let's look at a classic example:
You can use this one sentence as the only template you'll ever need for delivering the lead line of any bad news. For example:
Sometimes, there's no way around it. Sometimes, you have to be the bearer of bad news.I'd rather be the bearer of delightful news -- but that's not always possible.
Oh, there's a core contingency of die hard Pollyannas out there -- "Always tell people what they want to hear, and you'll never go wrong."
But that approach is irresponsible. One must tell the truth.
Of course, using the infamous "Communicating Bad News" PowerPoint template isn't the answer. But the template does have one element right --
To begin communicating your bad news, just say it. No couching it with "There's no easy way to put this, but..."
No, you must lead clearly and concisely with the bad news. This is your lead story, so you must state it up front. Let's look at a classic example:
"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."It's clear and precise. Who, what, where, and when.
You can use this one sentence as the only template you'll ever need for delivering the lead line of any bad news. For example:
- "Last quarter, our company lost our biggest client to a competitor."
- "Mrs. Jones, your son will be repeating the 5th grade next year."
- "I will not be serving spinach salad tonight because of E. Coli concerns."
Labels: Presentation
¶ 7/25/2007 01:24:00 PM
