Bad news can be divided into two parts. There is individual bad news that usually is driven by problems with performance or behavior of a single person and it falls to the supervisor/manager to address this issue with the employee. It will likely be a situation where some corrective action needs to be taken by the individual and managed by the supervisor.

A larger category of bad news addresses issues that arise outside of the individual but impact them nonetheless because the news carries a shift in a project, company policy, budget or strategic redirection. The individual has been performing well, perhaps excellently, but the environment has shifted significantly. This might be something as minor as a change in professional travel policy to something dramatic such as a hiring freeze, curtailing of a promising project, rollback on bonuses or promotions because of budget, or elimination of entire departments because of strategic redirection.

These situations are particularly challenging for managers and leaders, because the individual is not at fault, but will be impacted, sometimes quite seriously by these changes.

Here are some suggestions for addressing this situation.

Prepare

1. Understand at your level and a higher level why this decision is being made and if necessary, align with your manager and your peers on the reasons and narrative. Some people may be able to accept decisions easier if there’s solid logic. The challenging part of this is that you may not fully understand or support the decision that is rolling through your team or department. But it is essential that you reach that understanding for yourself, align with your manager, see it in the best possible light and also be realistic so that you are not myopic or seem out of touch to those who you will need to bring along.

2. Once you’ve arrived at that understanding and are, hopefully, at peace with it, think through the message you want to relay and how you want them to hear it. The structure of this communication might follow this outline:

   • This is what is happening - including three or four of the most important elements of the change

   • This is why this is happening - again only the most important drivers, i.e. budget, strategic repositioning, new technology, underperformance

   • This is how it will impact our team or department - layoffs, freeze on hiring, no promotions.

   • This is how it will impact you - your work and job are an important part of what we do and you are secure, we will however be postponing promotions for 12 months.

3. Keep the message as simple and direct as possible, but make sure you cover all that you need them to hear.

4. Practice - alone or with a partner, run through what you will say, so that you can appear at ease and authentic

5. Anticipate the range of reactions that they may have and how you will respond a. Imagine the hardest questions you could get and have answers ready for them b. Imagine what intense emotions they might display and how you will empathize

6. Think about the location for the discussion - it needs to be private, feel safe for them and for you, and one that creates a context for an open discussion.

Deliver

1. Cut to the chase, do not engage in excessive small talk.

2. Acknowledge that this is a hard conversation for you and you imagine it will be for them as well. If a lot of people will be impacted and be having this conversation, it is likely that those you speak with later will already have heard something. Acknowledge this and affirm that everyone is hearing the same thing.

3. Provide any context or background that is needed or will be helpful for them, be transparent, tell them what is happening as you best understand it. See the outline suggestions in #2 above.

4. Explain what this means in specific terms for the company, the team, the work and them.

5. Make sure they understand it all, without overly belaboring the message.

6. Give them a moment to process all of this and do not rush.

7. Ask if they have questions and give them time to form them - tell them that you assume that this will be an ongoing discussion.

8. Discuss next steps, how you are planning to respond to the situation, and let them know you would value discussing it with them after they have had some time to let it sink in. If they seem open to it, do a little brainstorming on what you can do individually or together to make the most of this situation.

State of Mind

1. Balance being candid, transparent, and to the point with genuine empathy for them.

2. Avoid:

   • Sugar coating - “let’s look on the bright side”

   • Blaming others - “I have issues with how these decisions were made”

   • Projecting too much - “I know just how you feel”

   • Losing your cool - “I know this is bad, but really you can’t be mad at me”

   • Over explanation - “ What this means is …blah, blah, blah…

   • Taking the blame - “I tired to prevent this but failed”

3. Project/Express:

   • Concern for them - empathy

   • Respect for the team, department or organization - reality that you have all been successful and you plan to work with them to ensure this continues

   • Action steps to take to address what can be addressed - ensuring a sense agency is the most effective way to counteract their negative feelings. Share with them some things that you are doing for yourself and invite them into an ongoing discussion.

   • Focus on the future - not re-adjudicating the past

   • Solidarity - we are in this together, we have worked successfully in the past and will continue to work that way 

Worst Case Scenarios

An important fact is that what you imagine will happen is likely to be worse than what will actually happen. How you show up to the meeting will set the tone for their reaction.

If you have followed the steps above and arrived in a confident manner, with a focused presentation of the issues, its impact on them, and how you will all work together to address this, they will likely follow your lead.

But this is a highly charged emotional situation dealing with core parts of people’s life. You may get crying, yelling, anger, blame, paralysis, shutdown, cynicism, sadness, and disappointment. Don’t stifle these reactions unless they get totally out of hand. Let them get it out, listen, shake your head affirmatively, and try to keep a calm face. It probably doesn’t help to ask questions like, “Why are you so angry?” They just are and they need you to hear it.

When they are done, say your version of, “I know I have my own feelings about all of this, but I want us all to get these out and then work together to make the best of this situation.”

Next steps/Follow up

This is not a “one and done” deal. To help your people and yourself through this situation, you will need to continue to be engaged with them, the situation, and your own feelings until that time that a new normal is established. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Plan a follow up 1:1 meeting - with no more than three days after the initial meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to get them to turn from the emotional dislocation of the news in the first meeting to beginning to be creative about what you both can do to make it as positive as possible. You may get some emotional reactions in this second meeting, but gently move them toward positive action. Ask them to brainstorm with you about actions to take. Some ideas might include:

• Critical priority setting/managing priorities

• Developing new skills

• Taking new opportunities

• Courses, travel, etc

• Building their network

2.  Continue on this theme - If you’ve come up with some useful things for them to focus and work on, help this process by continuing to meet with them to advance the work. You can also begin to bring them together with others that are impacted if they have similar areas of focus.

3. Keep an eye out - This will be a trying time for individuals and the team. It will be best to make yourself more available, watch out for changes in behavior, check in more often, and be as realistically encouraging as you can.

4. Watch out for you- You are giving them someone to talk with and you need that as well. If your boss isn’t available you might turn to a trusted peer. If not think about resources beyond work either professional, a coach or therapist, or personal, a trusted friend or mentor. It is good to share this with your life partner, but be careful to not overly burden the relationship.