Bad Feelings Can Be Reduced if receiver
Knows the reasons for the rejection, feels that the news was revealed sensitively and believes that the matter was treated seriously and failry.
How to Achieve Goals in Communicating Negative News
Explain clearly and completely, Project a professional image, convey empathy and sensitivity, be fair, maintain friendly relations.
Explain Clearly and Completely (communicating negative news)
Recipients should not have to cal or write to clarify your message.
Project a professional Image (communicating negative news)
Strive to stay calm, use polite language, and respond with clear explanations of why a negative message was necessary.
Convey Empathy and Sensitivity (communicating negative news)
Use language that respects the receiver but also attempts to reduce bad feelings. When appropriate, accept blame and apologize without creating legal liability for yourself or the organization.
Be Fair (communicating negative news)
When you can show that the decision was fair, impartial, and rational, receivers are far more likely to accept the negative news.
Maintain Friendly Relations (communicating negative news)
Demonstrate your desire to continue pleasant relations and to regain the confidence of the reader.
Before delivering negative news
Analyze how your receiver will react to this news.
When to Use the Direct Strategy
When the bad news is not damaging, when the receiver may overlook the bad news, when the organization or receiver prefers directness.
When the bad news is not damaging (using the direct strategy)
If the bad news is insignificant and doesn't personally affect the receiver, then use the direct strategy)
When the receiver may overlook the bad news (using the direct strategy)
Some critical messages require boldness to ensure attention.
When the organization or receiver prefers directness (when to use the direct strategy)
Some people expect all internal messages and announcements, even bad news, to be straightforwar and presented without frills.
When Firmness is Necessary (when to use the direct strategy)
Messages that must demonstrate determination and strength should not use delaying techniques.
Indirect Strategy
Does not reveal the bad news immediately. Theoretically enables you to keep the reader's attention until you have been able to explain the reasons for the bad news.
When to use the Indirect Strategy
When the bad news is personally upsetting, when teh news will provoke a hostile reaction, when the news threatens the customer relationship, when the bad news is unexpectd.
When the bad news is personally upsetting (indirect strategy)
If it involves the receiver personally, such as a layoff notice, this strategy makes sense
When the bad news will provoke a hostile reaction (indirect strategy)
A blunt reaction may make the reader stop reading.
When the bad news threatens the customer relationship (indirect strategy)
Beginning slowly and presenting reasons that explain what happened can be more helpful to the customer than directly announcing bad news or failing to adequately explain teh reasons.
When the bad news is unexpected (indirect strategy)
REaders who are totally surprised by bad news tend to have a more negative reaction than those who expected it.
The indirect approach doesn't guarantee that recipients will be pleased,
because bad news is bad news.
Four part indirect Strategy
Buffer, Reasons, Bad News, Closing
Reasons
Explain the causes of the bad news before disclosing it.
Bad News (revealing)
Reveal the bad news without emphasizing it. Provide an alternative or compromise if possible.
Closing Bad Nwes
End with a personalized, forward-looking pleasant statement, and avoid referring to the bad news.
Unethical Communication
Communication with the intent to deceive.
Opening Messages with a Buffer
Bes news, compliment, appreciation, agreement, facts, understanding, appology
Best News (buffer)
Start with the part of the message that represents the best news.
Compliment (buffer)
Praise the receiver's accomplisments, organization or efforts but do it honesty and sincerely.
Appreciation (buffer)
Convey thanks for doing business, for sending something, for showing confidence in your organization for expressing feelings or simply for providing feedback.
agreement (buffer)
Make a relevant statement with which both you and the receiver can agree.
Facts (buffer)
Provide objective information that introduces the bad new
Understanding (buffer)
Show that you care about the reader.
Apology
An admission of blameworthiness and regret for an undesirable event.
Apologize Promptly and Sincerely
Credibility suffers when a public figure delays an apology and responds only after causing an outrage. People also dislike hollow sounding appologies.
Focusing on your regret
does not convey sincerity; explaining what you will do to prevent it does.
Accept Responsibility
Acknowledge responsibility or show remorse.
use good Judgement, when appologizing
Before admitting blame, it might be wise to consult a superior or the company legal counsel to avoid litigation.
Empathy
The ability to understand and enter into the feelings of another.
When empathizing with people
Put yourself into the shoes of them and try to experience their pain.
Presenting the Reasons (buffer)
Explain clearly, cite reader or other benefits if plausible, explain company policy, choose positive words, show fairness and serious intent.
Without sound reasons for revealing bad news
A message will fail, no matter how cleverly it is organized or written.
Positioning the Bad News Strategically
Instead of spotlighting it, sandwich the bad news between other sentences, perhaps among your reasons.
Use the Passive Voice with Bad News
This voice allows you to depersonalize an action and highlights the action rather than the person
Resale
Mentioning a product or service favorably to reinforce the customer's choice.
Avoid endings that sound
Canned, insincere, inappropriate, self-serving, invite further correspondence or refer to the bad news.
Writing Plan for Refusing Typical Requests and Claims
Buffer, reasons, bad news, closing
Buffer (refusing typical requests and claims)
Start with a neutral statement on which both reader and writer can agree, such as a compliment, appreciation, a quick review of the facts or an apology.
Reasons (refusing typical requests and claims)
Present valid reasons for the refusal, avoiding words that create a negative tone.
Bad News (refusing typical requests and claims)
De-emphasize the bad news, use passive voice, accentuate the positive or imply a refusal. Suggest a compromise, alternative or substitute if possible.
Closing (refusing typical requests and claims)
Renew good feelings with a positive statement. Avoid referring to the bad news. Include resale or sales promotion material, if appropriate. Look forward to continued business.
Written messages are important
To communicate when personal contact is impossible, to establish a record of the incident, to formally confirm follow-up procedures and to promote good relations.
How to respond to negative posts and reviews online:
Verify the solution, respond quickly and constructively, consider freebies, Learn how to improve, accept the inevitable.
Verify the Situation (respond to negative posts online)
Investigate to learn what happened. If the complaint is legitimate, it's best to fess up. Admit the problem and try to remedy it.
Respond quickly and constructively. (respond to negative posts online)
Offer to follow up offline; send your contact info. Be polite and helpful.
Consider Freebies (respond to negative posts online)
Suggest a refund or a discount on future services.
Learn how to Improve (respond to negative posts online)
Loop upon online comments as opportunities for growth and improvement. These customers are real-time focus groups that can provide valuable insights.
Accept the inevitable (respond to negative posts online)
Recognize that nearly every business will experience some negativity. Do what you can to respond constructively and then move on.
Non-newsworthy problems
Trivial, noncriminal mistakes, or one-time bad behaviors.
Newsworthy problems
Fraudulent travel claims, consistent hostile behavior, or failing projects.
When to deliver news in person:
When the bad news involves one person or a small group nearby.
Delivering Bad News in Person
Gather all the info, prepare and rehearse, explain: past, present, future; consider taking a partner, think about timing, be patient with the reaction.
Gather all the info (delivering bad news in person)
Cool down and have all the facts before marching in on the boss or confronting someone. Every story has two sides.
Prepare and Rehearse (delivering bad news in person)
Outline what you plan to say so that you are confident, coherent and dispassionate.
Explain: Past, Present, Future (delivering bad news in person)
Explain what caused the situation, the current situation, and how and when you plan to fix it.
Consider Taking a Partner (delivering bad news in person)
In the fear of "shoot the messenger", especially from your boss, bring someone with you. Each person should have a consistent and credible part in the presentation.
Think about Timing (delivering bad news in person)
Don't do this when someone is already stressed and grumpy.
Be patient with the reaction (delivering bad news in person)
Give the receiver time to vent, think, recover, and act wisely.
Announcing Bad News to the Public
Keep communication open/honest, choose the best communication channel, create intranet post.
Keep Communication open/Honest (announcing bad news to the public)
Instead of letting rumors distort the truth, managers ought to explain the organization's side of the story honestly and promptly.
Choose the best communication channel (announcing bad news to the public)
If given to one person, or a small group of people, management should give it in person, when communicating to a much larger group, best to communicate through hard-copy memos or other digital media.
Intranet Post (announcing bad news to the public)
Use indirect strategy of the intranet post.
Low morale results
When employees hear about bad news through rumors or the media.
When bad news must be delivered to individuals
Management may want to deliver the news personally.