“Hi Boss, I have some bad news …” – Delivering Bad News in the Business World

Once in a while, we come across a query from our students that touches on a common yet unaddressed part of our communication habits. We have been there – you are working on a sales proposal or in the middle of a negotiation when the discussion turns south. You find yourself ending the discussion/negotiation with nothing to show for it. Worse still, you now have to let your boss know that the negotiation was not a success. How do you deliver this bad news?

In corporate or business settings, presentations are not the only pain points you may face. Delivering tough news is an often overlooked aspect of the corporate world. Some may develop an illusory sense of ‘toughness’ in wanting to be frank or emotionless. Others choose to add caveats and apologies – hiding their bad news under a fragile wall of positivity. Believe it or not, there is a good way to deliver that bad news!

Today, let us share three tips on how you can plan and deliver your bad news – be it to a colleague, boss, or even a friend!

Tip #1: Hit It Fast and Direct First

Let’s use a simple example. You were tasked to deliver a sales proposal to an external client – things were going well, but the clients were simply not convinced. By the end of the presentation, you were given a swift and decisive rejection. “Bad news, boss, we got rejected” – unless you are friendly with your upper management, this update is unlikely to work. We can turn this around with a careful structuring of the appropriate response.

The first step is to give the immediate news – precise, fast, and direct. This does not mean stopping at the position alone (i.e., just saying “we were rejected”). Instead, give a quick overview of the decisive points for the rejection – this is a summary of the main reasons why the bad news came about. For example:

We are sorry to update you that the sales proposal was rejected at the meeting earlier as the clients were exceptionally concerned about the operating costs. This was so even though we reassured them about …

This highlights the key considerations or factors that went into the ‘bad news’, allowing the news recipient to accept and understand the reasons within the first few words. Instead of delaying the inevitable, couch the bad news with an explanation to contextualise it!

(*Your boss: “So…why were we rejected?” [At the back of his/her mind – you didn’t do your job well)

Tip #2: Create an Acceptance Framework

We do not want to just stop with the initial summary or overview. Instead of making the bad news delivery one-way traffic, turn it into a discussion or a conversation by offering a full explanation of the circumstances leading up to the bad news. We call this creating an acceptance framework – a map for the news recipient to find the best route to accept this bad news. For example, instead of focussing on a ‘blame’ factor, share the problem-solving steps taken.

If we use the example above, highlight the causes of the rejection and how your team managed it. A piece of bad news is more than just a one-liner assessment of your team (or bad news does not come from a bad person). Instead, let the other party understand that you tried your best to achieve the requested result. One option is to highlight what made it difficult – by inviting the other party to step into your shoes, they will have the opportunity to observe the challenges you faced in reaching positive results. This may not necessarily lead to an immediate acceptance of the bad news, but it would offer the recipient a chance to understand.

Tip #3: What is Your Game Plan?

We tend to forget that the delivery of bad news should be forward-looking to set out what the game plan for the future is. If we return to the example earlier, the game plan may include re-visiting the proposal or even offering alternative clients to pitch to. In short, how can you reassure the news recipient that this situation is unlikely to happen again?

The three guiding points for an effective bad-news game plan are setting the reassuring goal, highlighting specific steps, and emphasising the call to action. The reassuring goal is your long-term vision – this may form the common ground with the recipient of the bad news (e.g., “I know this news is tough, but we are committed to securing a client for the company). From there, move from the broad goal to the specific steps. Categorise them neatly and present your solution as a full package. Finally, emphasise your call to action – what are you going to do next? This should be the immediate next step instead of a ‘rough’ or ‘fluffy’ guide to delay the other party.

Share Your Bad News in a Good Way!

We know that sharing such bad news is not easy – especially if it could potentially impact your job prospects or progression. But, where the situation is unavoidable, it may be more effective to have a ready framework in mind to deliver that bad news in the best way possible. The next time you find yourself in such a bind, give our three tips a go and deliver your bad news in a good way!

By The Way…

If you are keen to take your public speaking skills & presentation skills (either business/corporate presentation / kids in-class presentation) to the next level so that you may communicate and deliver speeches with greater flair and charisma, feel free to check out our public speaking/ presentation skills course for adults and public speaking course for children below!

For more about our (weekly group classes) Public Speaking/ Presentation Skills Course for Adults :

https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/courses-and-programs/group-classes-for-adults/

If you are looking for a 2-day intensive public speaking/ presentation skills course for adults instead (for our adult learners who can’t do weekends), learn more about our presentation skills training course here: https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/presentation-skills-training-course-by-world-champion/

If you are looking for Public Speaking/ Presentation Courses for Kids / Children:

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If you are a human resources manager/ business owner in your company…

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Feel free to reach out to us to curate your own public speaking corporate training programme for your team, company, or organization! Let us help you develop them into highly effective public speakers at work, empowered with effective presentation skills & storytelling skills – them giving speeches with charisma, influence and impact is something you can look forward to!

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