Delivering Bad News
Being able to effectively deliver bad news is an unpleasant but very necessary part of the job of the management staff. But with skill and tact, it can be done in a professional manner with a satisfactory outcome. It is imperative that the employee understand that there must be immediate improvement or he will be looking for employment elsewhere.
If I had an employee that was performing at a sub-standard level and has generated complaints from both co-workers and customers, I would handle it immediately. Initially I would send him an email to announce a meeting I had scheduled between us. My primary objective is to be direct and inform him of the bad news and offer rationale and options. I anticipate a confrontational attitude with denials, temper flare-ups and maybe some blame-assigning.
I want to begin with a neutral tone, and proceed by explaining the bad news. I will reassure him (when the situation arises) that the allegations have been validated. Then I will present the problem and offer alternatives and finally end on a positive note (Roebuck, 2006). Prior to the meeting I would have investigated the situation to determine if the employee was indeed guilty of the accusations. I would have reviewed his file to track his progress since joining our staff. I would have made note of his strengths/weaknesses to point out in the meeting as a way of showing my support.
In the meeting, I would first make sure he knows why he is there and what he is accused of. I would support the allegations with proof, without naming names of course. I would stress the fact that this is a “team-effort” and that the success of the team depends on every member doing his share. I would point out that his confrontational behavior has precipitated a hostile work environment that casts a negative image with co-workers as well as customers. This in itself allows for “plan failure” which is unacceptable.
After I have “laid the cards on the table” I would allow him to agree with or refute the allegations. I would listen actively by giving him feedback and paraphrasing. I would enquire as to whether he has experienced changes in his personal life that have affected him to the extent that he’s carried it into his professional life. I would offer help from the company through our Employee Assistance Program that’s been developed for such cases.
It is important to emphasize that since he has been an asset to the team since he began two years ago, I would hate to lose him. However, I could not allow him to continue in his present activities. He has a choice to either get help and resolve his problem immediately and once again be a positive, thriving member of the team, or he can look elsewhere for employment. Because of our size, we cannot allow one member to fall short, it affects the productivity of the entire organization. I will have him to commit in writing one choice or the other.
Below is a link to a PowerPoint presentation of how to deliver bad news effectively. In this slide, the author emphasizes objectives of the meeting as well as patterns for reaching these goals. In order to “soften the blow” so the employee won’t feel as if he is being attacked personally, a buffer is used. A buffer can help to restore damaged relations on the job. What is being magnified is the lack of productivity in conjunction with the behavior that is not conducive to a healthy work environment. Finally, the slide is finished on a positive note that ensures work relationships are still intact. Click on the link to review the slide.
Even though delivering bad news is distasteful and can be uncomfortable, it is very necessary. It can be done with tact and firmness to achieve the desired results. Letting an employee know you are concerned about their well-being personally goes a long way to maintain trust and openness when delivering bad news. Encourage feedback from the employee and offer alternatives to dismissal. Then end the meeting on a positive note.
“Delivering Bad News” (n. d.). A Power Point presentation online by WordPress. Retrieved on
"How To Deliver Bad News". Leila's House of Corrections. (03/09/2009). Retrieved on
02/07/2011 from YouTube Videos online.
Roebuck, D. B., (2006). Improving business communication skills. (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River
Pearson Prentiss Hall.
(This is a work in progress, so there are many imperfections. I am unable to properly adjust the margins in my reference for "How to Deliver Bad News).
This blog provides an impressive amount of content with a variety of interesting options. The reader has the opportunity to participate by rating posts, taking a poll, and watching video, all of which are interesting features. In terms of content, I would suggest adding a more critical option to the rating system for posts; all three options for the reader are variations on positive thoughts. The purpose is to share communications information with the reader; this is achieved.
ReplyDeleteThe design is overall very visually appealing. I would suggest eliminating the dark color font in the poll at the bottom of the page; it was too dark for me to be able to read. The audience is fellow communication students and the content is appropriate and should provide some new, creative ideas for blogs.
Hey Denise!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is coming along quite nicely. The addition of the Youtube videos make it appealing, and I like the new background. It's easier on the eyes, simple yet appealing.
One thing I would suggest, if you are interested, is changing the format of the page so that you don't have so many widgets at the bottom. Right now your right and left sidebars are pretty blank, and I wouldn't even have known you had stuff on the bottom unless I'd read Chris's comments.
Also, I would try to break up the posts a little bit so they don't just look like essay papers. Throw in some images throughout, and do bullet points when you can. It makes things more eye-appealing.
One final suggestion- add a couple of fonts. No more than 2 or 3 different fonts on the page, but you could change your posts to a different font, or your Blog Title. This can also make the page more visually interesting.
Hope this helps! It's looking great!
Kristin
Loved the photo and the quote on the bottom – it literally made me smile! For that reason alone, I would try to bring it out more because I almost missed it. A suggestion I might make to help would to make the quote larger or in black bold font color to help bring it out.
ReplyDeleteAnother suggest I would offer is your second post, The Tactics You Employ to Handle Your Conflict Says a Lot About You should be a little more structured, much like your other posts. Without a space and without an indent, it disrupts the flow of your work, but I also know how difficult it is to format your work in that small post box.
One thing that I absolutely loved about your blog and something that mine is seriously lacking is your use of photo and video clips. It really enhances you your blog and brings it to a whole new level. I also loved the layout and the colors that you used – Great Job!!!