Using Three-Step Writing Process For Neg. Messages
Planning, Writing, and Completing.
Five Goals:
1. give bad news
2. ensure its acceptance
3. maintain reader's goodwill
4. maintain organization's good image
5. reduce future correspondence on the matter
Step 1: Planning Negative Messages
1. careful planning is necessary to avoid alienating your readers
2. Choose the medium with care
3. Choosing which approach is very important:
-direct approach: opens with bad news, proceeds to the reasons, and ends with positive statement.
-indirect appr
Planning continued...
Helping decide which approach to use:
1. Will the news come as a shock?
2. Does the reader prefer short messages that get right to the point?
3. How important is the news to the reader?
4. Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the read
Step 2: Writing Negative Messages
1. Write clearly, and sensitively.
2. clarify your credibility
3. convey respect an avoid accusatory tones
4. use positive words over negative ones.
(it is possible to deliver negative news without actually being negative)
Step 3: Completing Negative Messages
1. Make sure its CLEAR, COMPLETE, and CONCISE
2. produce professional documents
3. Proofread
4. Deliver PROMPTLY, delaying can be unethical and even ILLEGAL
Using the Direct Approach in Negative Messages
1. Open with a clear statement of bad news
2. Support and explain the new with relevant reasons
3. Close in a positive way.
4. Primary advantage: efficiency
Direct Approach: Opening
1. Come right out and say it
2. Maintain calm and professional tone.
Direct Approach: Body
1. Providing reasons and additional info
2. explanation of why the news is negative
3. extent of explanation depends on the nature and your relationship with the audience
4. DO NOT ALWAYS APOLOGIZE!
5. Instead sympathize
Direct Approach: Closing
1. Close with a positive but still honest and respectful manner
2. consider offering and alternative soluation
Using the Indirect Approach for Negative Messages
1. Outlines the reasons and explanation first
2. Then gives the bad news
3. Not meant to obscure the news, delay it, or limit responsibility.
4. Rather, to ease the blow and help reader accept it
5. Good example of YOU-oriented communication
Indirect Approach: Opening
1. First use a buffer- a neutral, noncontroversial statement closely related to the point
2. establishes common ground with the reader
3. when done right is shows consideration for the feelings of other
4. when done poorly, it can mislead or insult the re
Indirect Approach: Body
1. Phrase your reasons to signal the bad news ahead
2. Start with positive points and then move towards negative ones, be concise
3. Must convince you are justified, fair, and logical
4. Avoid hiding behind company policy
REASON ARE:
-detailed
-tactful
-i
Indirect Approach: Body Continued
1. De-emphasize the bad news visually and grammatically
2. use a conditional statement if appropriate
3. tell what you did do, not what you didn't do
4. don't disguise the bad news when you emphasize the positive
Indirect Approach: Closing
1. Opportunity to emphasize your respect
2. Positive Close will:
-build goodwill
-offer a suggestion for action
-provide a look toward the future
-be sincere
3. Follow these guidelines:
-Avoid uncertain conclusion
-limit future correspondence
-express opt
Sending Negative Messages on Routine Business Matters
1. Making negative announcements on routine business matters
2. Refusing routine requests
3. handling bad news about transactions
4. refusing claims and requests for adjustment
Making Negative announcements
1. Indirect approach is usually the better choice
2. open with buffer, advance your reasoning, announce the change, and close positively
Refusing routine requests
1. Give a clear negative response without generating negative feelings or damaging reputations
2. Direct approach works best most of the time
3. Indirect works best in high stake situations
Handling Bad news about transactions
Goals:
- modify the customers expectations
- explain how you plan to resolve the situation
- repair whatever damage might have been done to business relationship
1. Some negative messages carry significant business ramifications
2. approach depends on the
Refusing Claims and Requests for Adjustments
1. customer tends to be emotionally invovled
2. Use indirect approach mostly
3. defamation- a false statement that damages someone's reputation.(written=libel, verbal=slander)
Sending Negative Employment Messages
1. Indirect approach usually advised
2. Choosing medium is very important
Refusing requests for Recommendation Letters
1. Can be brief and direct
2. give all info that is allowable
3. tactfully avoid hurting reader's feelings
4. makes positive comments, implies the refusal, suggests and alternative, uses a polite close
Rejecting Job Applications
Indirect Approach usually advised. Experts disagree on which elements to include in a rejection letter, safest strategy is a minimal approach.
1. Personalize the email or letter with their name
2. open witha courteous expression of appreciation
3. convey
Giving Negative Performance Reviews
1. by giving employees clear goals and regular feedback, you can avoid unpleasant surprises in reviews
2. evaluations should provide careful documenation of performance concerns
POINTS TO GO BY:
-document performance problems
-evaluate all employees consi
Terminating Employment
1. Careful planning, complete documentation, and sensitive writing are essential
2. These should always be written with input from the legal staff
Goals:
-clearly present reasons
-reasons are presented as not to be misconstrued or discriminatory
-follow c
Sending Negative Organizational News
Follow these guidelines:
1. Match your approach to the situation
2. Consider the unique needs of each group
3. Minimize the element of surprise if possible
4. Give yourself enough time to plan and manage a response
5. Look for positive angles but don't ex
Responding to negative info in a social media environment
Four Steps:
1. Engage early, and engage often
2. Monitor the conversation
3. Evaluate Negative messages
4. Respond appropriately