In olden days messengers who brought bad tidings risked being killed for their efforts. Times and customs have changed, but this much remains the same: no one likes being the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more necessary these days.
Profits are falling, salaries and benefits are being cut, projects are being cancelled, people are being laid off, plants are being shut down, and businesses are going under. When you’re a leader, whether or not you have the title, what can you say? What should you say?
This much is clear: you cannot not communicate. Refusing to talk about problems won’t make them go away. It won’t win you people’s trust and respect. And it won’t reassure them or gain their willingness to take the actions and make the changes that are necessary.
One way or another the bad news will get out. The question is not whether but how to communicate it. Follow these guidelines to make a potentially painful experience more positive, both for you and for the people you’re addressing.
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