When your audience is likely to have an emotional response to “bad news,” discussing the reasons first helps to “build the case” and demonstrate that the decision was logical and reasonable.
When conveying bad news, avoid such words as “mistake”, “problem”, “unfortunately”, “impossible”, and discuss what can be done rather than what cannot be done.
When conveying negative news, depersonalize the message. For example, instead of saying, “You failed to notice…”, consider “May I point out that…” or “Another consideration is…”.
65% of organizations experience major interdepartmental communication problems. Forge alliances with other departments that are critical to your success.
