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| How do you give bad news? |
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Apr 2009
Published: Financial Times, April 18th 2009, page 31.
"It's vital to give proper thought to how you break bad news" says Martin Hennessey, founder of communications consultancy The Writer.
"First, talk like a real person not a text book. You're dealing with people here not ‘headcount'. It's surprisingly hard to do this. We want to hide behind corporate speak. But the more formal you are the less people will believe you. ‘I apologise' is less believable than ‘I'm sorry'.
"Second, explain the ultimate benefit. There's got to be one. If it's a matter of survival then there's your upside – the organisation will survive. If you have to increase prices to deliver a service, then at least the service will still be there. Even a reduction in bonus means you keep people rather than make them redundant. And if there's no benefit at all? Then admit that. You will win respect for being honest.
"Finally, be confident. If you don't believe in your strategy then no one will. People want to know the right people are in charge. So long as you don't patronise people or treat them dishonestly, it's amazing how quickly people will want to forget about the bad stuff and get on with their working lives. This is your chance to show them the way forward.
"There is an upside to sharing truly terrible news. If you can keep people's trust and goodwill through the bad times – then that speaks wonders for the strength of your relationships when the good times return."
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