We all know how challenging it can be to approach workers with bad news such as layoffs, a merger, or something that can produce negative consequences. How do you, as a manager at an expansion stage firm, deliver negative news or feedback in a manner that is most comfortable for you and your employees?
A recent article on Inc. supplied some outstanding tips:
Don’t Avoid It. The very first and most vital suggestion is not to keep away from delivering negative news once you receive it. While its understandable that you may prefer to procrastinate communicating negative news, the delay only makes it worse. This is specially true when you stay away from providing unfavorable feedback to workers regarding their performance. This type of feedback should not be deferred due to the fact that performance difficulties are likely to carry on without it, potentially ensuing in lost time, money, and increased frustration for you as a manager. Particularly if it happens to be a single-employee concern, tackle the problem as soon as it happens. If it is a business-wide notice (like in the matter of a merger or adverse financial news), take the reigns if you are part of the company’s management team, and tackle the issue swiftly. Gossip starts when these issues are delayed, and it will be a bad idea to risk losing some of your best workers due to fear of the unknown.
Be Crystal Clear and Direct. Brevity is vital. Do not build up the announcement or deliver advanced announcements; just get straight to the point. Keep the message short, straightforward, and don’t sugar-coat it.
Take Ownership of the Issue. If a decision has been made that affects your employees, take ownership of the decision. Be ready to explain what brought on the decision.
Consider your Timing and Medium for Delivery. No one wants to listen to negative news from their boss via email. Communicate with your staff face to face out of respect, so they can reply instantly with inquiries of their own. When it comes to timing, if it is a company-wide proclamation, it is deemed best to wait until later in the day between the middle and end of the week. But if it is a significant situation, take action at the start of the day. Always let your workers to air their concerns after delivering such news. Another great idea is to solicit ideas from your staff as to how you can improve the circumstances by inquiring, “What would you do in my shoes?”
Your workers will evaluate you as a manager based on your actions in both good times and bad, and handling bad news poorly may interrupt future productivity and have a unfavorable result on your employee retention. In order to keep your staff working productively and to keep your top-rate workers on board, treat them with respect if and when you must provide unfavorable news.
Diana Winings Martz is a Recruiting Analyst at OpenView Labs, where she is responsible for recruitment for the firm and its portfolio companies.
