10- How to Deliver Bad News
Summary
In this episode, we will discuss how to break bad news in the best way possible by managing expectations with upfront communication.
Episode Transcribed
A while ago, I had to report some bad news to management about the project I was working on. The monthly steering committee meeting, was quickly approaching and I had just finished an analysis showing that the new business we had been trying to build was not going to be as profitable as we had originally hoped. I was terrified of looking like a failure since it was my idea to start this new business in the first place. I kept imagining what would happen if I announced in the meeting that, although things seemed promising last month, they no longer were. These people who had invested money, time, and effort on the project I was leading would be frustrated and caught off guard. I had to be very careful about how I informed people. I had to find a way to soften the blow.
At some point in your career, you will need to break bad news to management. Maybe you didn't meet your sales targets for the month. Or you need more time to finish the task your boss asked you to work on. Or maybe you just lost a big client or burned a bridge with a coworker on a different team. Regardless of the situation, you need to be careful about how you inform people because you never want to surprise them with bad news. That brings us to this episode’s smartcut: Don’t surprise people with bad news. Be upfront, realistic, and communicate as things turn south. If you didn't meet your sales target, communicate as soon as possible that you are facing some challenges this month, but are doing your best to hit the target nonetheless, being specific about the actions you are taking. If you don't think you are going to finish a task before the deadline, don't wait until the deadline has passed to present the bad results. Send a message to your manager beforehand saying that you may need extra time on the project for these specific reasons.
Going back to my story, when I had to break the news to the steering committee about the possibility of bad news, I knew I had to be careful about the order in which I informed people, especially the project sponsor who was providing our funding. First, I asked two mentors of mine for advice on how to strategically spread the word and they suggested a sound order of who I should tell first and who can find out last. Second, I told my manager. It was important that my manager heard the news from me so I could explain the reasons well and control the narrative. Third, my manager and I met with their boss. Think about it. My manager has an incentive to break the news cautiously and control the narrative because, in the eyes of their boss, they are responsible as well. We then knew that my manager's boss would break the news to the project sponsor because they meet weekly, but we also knew that they had the same incentive to provide a good explanation and propose the best course of action.
The order of who you tell and the way in which you tell it are both extremely important. The order is important because if you don’t tell the most heavily invested stakeholders first, others might find out from someone else. And if someone finds out from another source, you no longer have control over how the information is interpreted, and that person could relay it in a way that makes you or your team look bad. In addition, people tend to be more unhappy when they hear bad news from someone other than the source because it makes them think that you didn’t have the decency to tell them directly. Also, when you include your boss first and give them a thorough explanation of the cause of the bad news, it can actually even look good for you. Forbes (link below) says that “When you deliver bad news in a way that increases the boss’ feeling of confidence, in your competence to handle the bad news and that gives the boss a sense of control, you can actually deepen your working relationship with the boss.” You can find the original article on the careersmartcuts.com
I was very careful about what I said and how I said it because I didn’t want it to seem like the project was failing because of me. I did my best to avoid using any negative terms like ‘failure’ or ‘issue’. I started out by talking about the positive things that we had accomplished and then transitioned to the issues. Except I didn’t even refer to them as issues, I referred to them as challenges. Lastly, rather than just telling them that the business wasn’t as viable as we had hoped, I provided them with some financial estimates which allowed them to come to the conclusion on their own.
The way you express bad news is very important. You must be aware of your word choice and include some positives to soften the negatives. I am sure you have all heard about giving feedback in a compliment sandwich. The same concept applies to when you are providing bad news. Also, give credit and compliment the hard work done by your colleagues, and don’t blame others or point fingers. Lastly, mention the lessons learned and how it will help improve the company in the future. For example, talk about what was created or discovered, any work that can be salvaged for something else, or knowledge gained that will help in future projects. Find a way to turn the negatives into a positive.
By the time the steering committee meeting happened, the important people at the meeting had already been informed and were not surprised. We presented the accomplishments we had and the challenges we faced moving forward. Keep in mind that this whole time I was only setting expectations that there was a possibility we may have bad news at the next steering committee meeting. In a way, it was a warning that we were about to give a warning. The meeting ended up going very well because by informing people beforehand, we had set expectations.
Issues or failures are always hard to bring up and you may face some unpleasant reactions, but when handled upfront and transparently, you can neutralize a bad situation and sometimes even gain respect. Another thing to note is that you especially do not want to surprise your management with bad news in a meeting with other people. It is better for you to be the one to inform them individually beforehand so that they have time to process the information without being caught off guard. Even if the best you can do is to pull them aside minutes before the meeting outside of a meeting room, or call them right beforehand.
Conclusion
To summarize this smartcut, don’t surprise people with bad news. Do whatever you can to communicate the challenges you are facing before things get too far. Over-communicate that there is a possibility of bad news as soon as there are any signs. Thank you for listening to this episode of career smartcuts. Follow or subscribe to this podcast now, because it’s time to accelerate your career towards success, however you define it.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2016/05/01/how-to-deliver-bad-news-to-your-boss/#7300f8c91c43