How to Break Bad News to Employees

The last thing you want to happen is to tell bad news to your employees. Whether it’s about the company’s status or other issues, you don’t want to let them down. However, not telling them the truth is worse. You would rather explain what’s going on and face the consequences. If you find it challenging, here are some tips to consider.

Don’t sugarcoat

When telling terrible news, you should rip the band aid off instead of slowing it down. There’s no point in trying to sugarcoat things since the truth remains. There’s also a chance to misinterpret what you said because of your effort to make it look good. You don’t have to be rude in explaining the details, but you don’t need to make it seem positive, either.

Show how serious the situation is

Whether it’s about the business or a specific employee, you’re going to break terrible news. Make sure you show the gravity of the problem when talking to your employees. It also doesn’t matter which method you’re going to use. It helps to show how serious you are so everyone lends their ears to you.

Focus on the solution

When breaking the bad news, talk about how you intend to solve it. Focus on the specific solutions instead of dwelling on what happened in the past. Your employees will feel better to know that you intend to do something about the problem. You may also ask for suggestions on how to move forward and prevent the problem from ever happening. 

Don’t blame them 

The worst thing that you can do is to make your employees feel liable for the bad news. While they’re part of the company, the leaders should always take responsibility. Blaming your employees will make them feel less motivated. They might even leave the company because of the atmosphere you created. You can make some people accountable, but don’t let every employee believe the problem is because of them. 

Be real but optimistic 

Again, there’s no better way than to tell the truth about what happened. However, it also helps to be optimistic. You can’t show your team that things are heading in the wrong direction, and there’s no turning back. 

Prepare everyone for the worst possibilities 

While what’s going on now is already bad, it could get worse. Therefore, it’s crucial that you tell your employees to prepare for what might come ahead. They won’t like what will happen, but it’s better to let them know. When the time comes, no one will be shocked. 

You can’t prevent bad news from happening to your company. The key is to find a way to deliver the news truthfully and cautiously. Give them the news right away before it’s too late. Besides, delivering bad information is only the beginning. You still have a lot to do moving forward. You can’t delay the process anymore. You’re only delaying the inevitable if you do so. 

Photo Attribution:

1^st and featured image from  https://www.techrepublic.com/a/hub/i/r/2018/02/05/06dead39-5a7b-464a-8e1a-8242365b1424/thumbnail/770×578/66c456f69c939b398ea924e9708bc29c/nortonrsxistock-690029076.jpg

2^nd image from https://www.inc.com/alison-davis/need-to-deliver-bad-news-to-employees-science-says-do-this.html