Delivering Bad News to Different Groups

Delivering bad news is a critical skill for managers, and the approach must be tailored to the specific audience, whether it’s stakeholders, a team, individual team members, or a boss. While the core principles of empathy, clarity, and professionalism remain constant, the strategies and nuances vary significantly.

Delivering Bad News to Stakeholders 

When delivering bad news to stakeholders, the focus is on building trust and taking accountability. Stakeholders are often driven by results and are keenly aware of the investment they have made in a project. Transparency is key to building trust with senior leaders, so regular status updates, including risk mitigation strategies and potential trade-offs, are essential. It’s crucial to keep stakeholders informed, especially when things go wrong, and to make it easy for them to report information to their own superiors. When delivering news of a project delay, for instance, a face-to-face meeting is preferable to demonstrate ownership of the message. The key is to be prepared with the root cause of the issue (without blaming specific individuals) and a clear plan for the path forward, including new timelines and milestones with confidence levels. It is also important to show that you, the manager, share the same sense of urgency as the project sponsor to get the project delivered.

Delivering Bad News to A Team 

When delivering bad news to a team, the approach depends on the nature of the news. If the news involves a change in direction that the manager believes is necessary, a structured communication plan is crucial. The plan should explain what is changing, why it is changing, and why it is changing now. The manager should expect resistance from the team and must stick to the decision without revisiting it. In some situations, the manager may have to deliver bad news about a decision they disagree with personally, which requires the manager to “disagree and commit,” meaning that after respectfully challenging the decision, they must fully commit to executing it. This involves being consistent in communication and avoiding complaining to the team about the decision. In cases where a promise has to be broken, an authentic and personal apology is required. The focus should be on the manager’s own error without blaming others, and they should explain what went wrong and how they will fix it.

Delivering Bad News to Individual Team Members 

When delivering bad news to individual team members, especially concerning performance issues, a gradual approach is recommended. Start with low-temperature feedback to encourage dialogue and understand any underlying issues, such as personal problems that might be affecting work. If the issues continue, the temperature should be raised, using more direct language to highlight the need for immediate change. If there is still no improvement, a performance improvement plan might be necessary. During the verbal warning stage, the manager needs to be both cautious and reassuring. They must express their belief that the employee can succeed, while clearly outlining the performance issues. If the employee becomes defensive, the manager has to lean into their authority to make it clear what needs to be fixed. If it gets to a written warning (a Performance Improvement Plan), the manager needs to be ready to offer an easy way out with a severance package.

Delivering Bad News to a Boss 

Delivering bad news to a boss requires a different strategy, particularly when it involves adaptive feedback, which involves changing attitudes. Before giving feedback, the manager must determine if it is technical or adaptive. Technical feedback, such as reducing the number of meetings, is easier to deliver, but adaptive feedback, such as expressing that the boss is not inspiring, requires more preparation. The manager should start by giving softer, consistent feedback to assess the boss’s reaction before delivering more direct feedback. When delivering direct adaptive feedback, the manager should also be prepared to potentially leave the company if the boss reacts poorly. The first step is to determine if there is an actual ask in the message from the boss. If there is not an explicit need stated, then the manager needs to get on a call with their boss to hash things out. It is important to be self-critical and try to get to the root cause of the issue with the manager by building empathy and vulnerability.

In summary, while empathy and clarity are important across all scenarios, the strategies for delivering bad news vary. For stakeholders, it’s about transparency and accountability; for teams, it’s about clear communication and commitment; for individuals, it’s about careful, measured feedback and support; and for bosses, it’s about assessing their openness to feedback, delivering it appropriately, and building an empathy-based relationship.

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