Share the Bad News

Managing employees is easy when everything is going great. But most managers, at some point in time, have to deal with adversity—sagging financials, layoffs, poor performance, or other bad news. An article in a recent Printing Industries Association of Southern California newsletter shared some good advice to use when you have to break bad news:

• Those who hesitate are lost. Resist the temptation to delay the announcement. Yes, employees may get angry, but if you appear to be hiding important news from them, you can be sure they’ll feel betrayed. Productivity may grind to a halt while they grouse about perceived deception. By delaying the inevitable, you trade short-term pain for long-term bitterness. Grit your teeth and get the news out as quickly as possible.
• Explain the situation clearly. Resist the urge to sugarcoat any bad news. Employees will hear the truth at some point anyway, and they will lose respect for you if you’re less than honest with them. Bite the bullet and be up front about what’s happening.
• Tell them your plans. Employees want to know what the plan is for dealing with the bad news. They can handle almost any kind of situation, as long as they know you’ve got a strategy for turning the situation around.
• Ask for their help. Don’t just give orders; ask employees for their suggestions. Employees usually have tons of great ideas for how to fix problems, but all too often, nobody ever asks for their input. They’ll be more invested in solutions they’ve helped to design.
• Exhibit a positive outlook. Employees take their cues from you. If you’re dejected and negative over the news, you’ll infect them with the same attitude. If you are upbeat and optimistic, you can expect them to adopt a positive viewpoint.
• Show what success will look like. What will a successful solution look like? How will you all know when you’re past the crisis? Give employees something to shoot for, whether it’s one overall goal or a series of milestones. Employees need to see that light at the end of the tunnel, so they have something to look forward to.
• There are no stupid questions. Once you’ve given employees the news about an unpopular decision, provide a forum for asking questions and venting their frustration. Asking “Why?” when things don’t go as we think they should is natural, and denying employees the opportunity to air concerns openly pretty much guarantees that they’ll gripe privately. After they’ve gotten the anger out of their systems, they’ll be better prepared to accept the inevitable and move on.