Managing Bad News Within Organizations

Delivering bad news within an organization might involve sharing bad news with your manager or another employee in person or in writing. Use a tactful tone and reasons-first approach because these techniques will help preserve friendly relations. Determine whether you need to use a direct or an indirect strategy (reasons-first approach) based on the anticipated reaction of your audience.

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate answer.

In order to be tactful and professional when personally delivering bad news within organizations, you should ______________(FILL IN THE BLANK)

OPTIONS:

go alone

prepare and rehearse

wait until Friday afternoon

.

Read each of the following scenarios, and answer the corresponding questions.

You are the president of a company, and you have decided to relocate to take another leadership position.

What should you remember when delivering the news to your organization? Check all that apply.

A. Offer little explanation.

B. Offer a clear, sincere explanation.

C. Communicate the news openly.

D. Let employee rumors communicate the news.

You recently conducted a series of interviews for an accounting position at your law firm. You’ve decided on a candidate but need to inform the other applicants that they were not selected for the position.

How can you reduce the rejected applicants’ disappointment? Check all that apply.

A. Reveal specific reasons for not hiring the applicant.

B. Compare the applicant to the candidate hired for the position.

C. Use vague explanations.

D. Use an indirect pattern.

You are the general manager of a national clothing retail store. At the last minute, one of your night-shift managers has requested an alternate schedule for the next two weeks in order to attend an endcap display training course the company offers through its professional training program. While you would like to honor the night-shift manager’s request, the schedule has already been distributed, your other night-shift manager is on vacation, and the change would require many people to reorganize their schedules at the last minute.

Options for the closing of the request refusal:

Option 1: Another endcap display course will be offered in two months. I would be happy to make arrangements for you to attend this training.

Option 2: You can submit your letter of resignation and then attend the classes. If I haven’t hired someone by the end of the two weeks, you can come back.

Option 3: Thanks for inquiring. I would really like to have you take the class and promise to see whether I can rearrange schedules anyway.

Which would be the most appropriate closing for refusing the night-shift manager’s request?

A. Option 1

B. Option 2

C. Option 3

Expert

The direct approach announces the bad news just at the introduction of the speech. Whereas, the Indirect approach is used when the audience is not well known. It employs some form of explanation before the bad news is delivered.

1. Being tactful and professional would require adequate preparation so as to choose words properly and put people's feelings into consideration.

2. To avoid spreading rumors within and outside the organization, the president would have to address his staff openly. He should be clear and concise when doing this.

3. To make room for good relationship and not break the confidence of the applicant, the HR should begin with an explanation of why the applicant was not hired.

4. The general manager should encourage the employee's effort to be trained but in order not to jeopardize the present schedule, future arrangements would need to be made.