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DELIVERING

BAD-NEWS
MESSAGES
BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
CHAPTER 7

5 Principles of Good Writing


Clear
Concise
Simple
Positive
Truthful

3 Questions to Ask Yourself


1.Main idea?

2.Readers response?
3.Direct or indirect?

Readers Response
Good News/
Interest

Bad News/
Non-Interest

Direct/Deduc
tive Outline

Indirect/Indu
ctive Outline

Direct/Deductive Outline (Good/Neutral News)


First
Main Idea
Paragraph
Middle
Paragraph Details
(s)
Final
Positive Close
Paragraph

Indirect/Inductive Outline (Bad News)


First
Neutral Statement
Paragraph
Middle
Reasons then bad
Paragraph
news
(s)
Final
Positive Close
Paragraph

Indirect Outline Used for Bad-News

Indirect Outline Used for Bad-News


Opening

Neutral idea that leads to refusal or bad news

Body

Presents facts, analysis, and reasons for refusal or bad news

States bad news using positive tone and de-emphasis techniques

Includes counterproposal or silver-lining idea when possible or appropriate

Closing

Closes with ideas that shift focus away from refusal or bad news and indicates continuing
relationship with receiver

Types of Bad-News Messages


Refusal of
Request or
Favor

Denial of
Claim

Denial of
Credit

Constructiv
e Criticism

Channel Choice for Bad News: Showing Tact


Personal
Delivery

Says message is
important, shows
empathy for recipient,
and is rich in nonverbal
cues and feedback

Electronic
Messages

Tend to be more honest


and accurate and can
cause less discomfort
for sender and
receiver

Use of the Indirect Approach to Build


Goodwill
Reasons are easier to understand if given before bad news
Reasons might be ignored when bad news is given first
Disappointment in bad news might interfere with ability to understand reasons

Advantages of Indirect Outline


Identifies the subject of the letter without first turning off the reader
Presents the reasons before the refusal, increasing understanding and acceptance
Avoids a negative reaction because the refusal does not come as a shock
De-emphasis of the refusal by closing on a neutral or pleasant note

Exceptions to Indirect Approach for Bad


News
Message is second refusal to repeated request
Insignificant matter is involved
Request is ridiculous, unethical, or illegal
Writer wants to shake receiver
Relationship is so close that human relations can be taken for granted
Sender wants to demonstrate authority

Writing the Introductory Paragraph


Provide a buffer to cushion the bad news that will follow
Let the receiver know what the message is about without stating the obvious
Serve as a transition into the discussion of reasons without revealing the bad news or
leading the receiver to expect good news

Avoid the Following Weaknesses in the Intro


Empty acknowledgements of the obvious
Tipping off the bad news too early
Starting too positively so as to build false hope

Effective Openings for Bad-News Message

Perfecting Buffer Statements


Version
1

II am
am pleased
pleased and
and honored
honored to
to have
have been
been asked
asked to
to
serve
serve as
as treasurer
treasurer of
of the
the United
United Way
Way campaign
campaign for
for
the
the coming
coming year.
year.

Version
2

Regrettably,
Regrettably, II will
will not
not be
be able
able to
to accept
accept your
your
invitation
invitation to
to serve
serve as
as treasurer
treasurer of
of the
the United
United Way
Way
campaign
campaign in
in the
the coming
coming years.
years.

Version
3

All
All of
of us
us who
who feel
feel proud
proud of
of our
our community
community agree
agree that
that
the
the United
United Way
Way adds
adds significant
significant value
value to
to the
the lives
lives of
of
thousands
thousands of
of citizens.
citizens. It
It has
has given
given shelter,
shelter, health
health
care,
care, money,
money, and
and hope
hope to
to many
many with
with critical
critical needs.
needs.

Presenting the Facts, Analysis, and Reasons


Provide a smooth transition from opening paragraph to the explanation
Include a concise discussion of one or more reasons that are logical to receiver
Show receiver benefits and/or consideration
Avoid using company policy as the reason

Writing the Bad-News Statement


Position the bad-news statement strategically
Use passive voice, general terms, and abstract nouns
Use positive language to accentuate the positive
Imply the refusal when the receiver can understand the message without definite
statement of the bad news

Examples of De-Emphasis Techniques


Imply
Imply bad
bad news
news if
if possible.
possible.
Example:
Example: Had
Had you
you selected
selected a
a variable
variable rate,
rate, you
you
could
taken
could have
have
taken advantage
advantage of
of the
the recent
recent
drop
drop in
in interest
interest rates.
rates.
Use
Use positive
positive language
language that
that accents
accents the
the good.
good.
Example:
Example: NOT:
NOT: We
We cannot
cannot ship
ship your
your order
order
until
until
INSTEAD:
Your
INSTEAD:
Your order
order will
will be
be shipped
shipped
when
when
Offer
Offer counterproposal
counterproposal that
that shows
shows writer
writer wants
wants
to
to help.
help.
Example:
Example: Although
Although our
our current
current personnel
personnel
shortage
us,
shortage prevents
prevents
us, we
we can
can
(alternative).
(alternative).

Examples of De-Emphasis Techniques


Use
Use Stylistic
Stylistic Techniques:
Techniques:
Complex
Complex sentencebad
sentencebad news
news in
in the
the dependent
dependent
clause
clause
General
General terms
terms and
and abstract
abstract nouns
nouns
Passive
Passive voice
voice
Example:
Example: NOT:
NOT: You
You failed
failed to
to verify
verify the
the payroll
payroll
figures.
figures.
INSTEAD:
INSTEAD: The
The payroll
payroll figures
figures must
must be
be verified.
verified.
(passive)
(passive)

problem)
problem)

Please
Please verify
verify the
the payroll
payroll figures.
figures.
(Focuses
(Focuses on
on the
the solution
solution rather
rather than
than the
the

Offering a Counterproposal or Silver


Lining

Counterproposa
l

Silver Lining

Perfecting Refusal Statement


Version
1

Version
2

Version
3

Under no circumstances can we grant the


request you have made.

Legal requirements prevent us from


disclosing the information you have
requested.
Unfortunately, we are not able to release
the requested information due to privacy
laws that prohibit disclosure.

Closing Positively
De-emphasize the unpleasant part of the message
Add a unifying quality to the message
Include a positive, forward-looking idea:
Reference pleasant idea from discussion
Use resale or sales promotion
Express willingness to assist in another way

To Close Positively, Avoid:


Trite statements that might seem shallow and superficial
Statements that could undermine the validity of your refusal
Statements that encourage future controversy

Closing Positively: Good Examples


For
For the
the Supervisor:
Supervisor:
Example:
Can
Example: Q:
Q:
Can you
you stay
stay late
late tonight
tonight to
to
finish
finish up
up this
this project?
project?
A:
A: No,
No, Ive
Ive got
got other
other obligations
obligations after
after work
work
tonight.
tonight.
How
How can
can II offer
offer the
the most
most help
help before
before the
the
end
day?
end of
of the
the
day?
For
For the
the Spouse/Significant
Spouse/Significant Other:
Other:
Example:
Example: Q:
Q: Honey,
Honey, Ive
Ive got
got a
a tee
tee time
time at
at 4
4 Sunday
Sunday
afternoon.
it
afternoon. Is
Is
it all
all right
right if
if II skip
skip Billys
Billys soccer
soccer
game
game that
that day?
day?
A:
A: Actually,
Actually, no.
no. He
He is
is expecting
expecting you
you and
and so
so
am
dont
am I.
I. Why
Why
dont you
you move
move your
your tee
tee
time
time to
to 1
1 that
that afternoon?
afternoon?

Closing Positively: Bad Examples


Trite
Trite statements
statements that
that may
may seem
seem shallow:
shallow:
Example:
Thank
Example:
Thank you
you for
for your
your interest.
interest.
When
When we
we can
can be
be of
of further
further help,
help, please
please do
do
not
hesitate
not
hesitate to
to write
write or
or call.
call.
Statements
Statements that
that encourage
encourage further
further
controversy:
controversy:
Example:
We
Example:
We trust
trust this
this explanation
explanation is
is
satisfactory.
satisfactory.
We
our
We hope
hope you
you will
will understand
understand
our position.
position.
Statements
Statements that
that undermine
undermine the
the validity
validity of
of the
the
refusal:
refusal:
Example:
If
Example:
If you
you have
have any
any questions,
questions, please
please do
do
not
hesitate
not
hesitate to
to let
let us
us know.
know.

Types of Bad-News Messages

Refusal of a Favor Bad Example


Subject:
Subject: No
No Employee
Employee Video/Computer
Video/Computer Lounge
Lounge
How
How can
can you
you even
even consider
consider asking
asking for
for our
our company
company to
to
fund
fund a
a video
video game/computer
game/computer lounge
lounge for
for employees?!
employees?!
Our
Our employees
employees are
are here
here to
to work,
work, not
not to
to play.
play.

Allowing
Allowing our
our employees
employees time
time with
with video
video games
games and
and
unmonitored
unmonitored computer
computer use
use goes
goes against
against every
every
management
management principle
principle Ive
Ive ever
ever learned.
learned. Employees
Employees
should
should conduct
conduct their
their personal
personal computer
computer business
business on
on
personal
personal time
time and
and use
use their
their spare
spare time
time at
at home
home to
to
play
play video
video or
or computer
computer games.
games. An
An office
office is
is for
for work,
work,
not
not play.
play. Besides,
Besides, the
the cost
cost of
of installing
installing aa separate
separate area
area
for
for these
these video
video breaks
breaks would
would be
be exorbitant.
exorbitant. Our
Our vice
vice
president
president would
would never
never agree
agree to
to spend
spend money
money on
on this
this
right
right now.
now.

II will
will try
try to
to convince
convince management
management to
to allow
allow a
a fifteenfifteenminute
minute time
time frame
frame every
every day
day for
for personal
personal Internet
Internet
use
use within
within certain
certain parameters,
parameters, but
but you
you should
should not
not get
get

Reveals refusal
in subject line
States refusal
before
explanation
Uses negative
language and
condescending
tone without
giving com-plete
explanation for
refusal
Offers possible
alternative, but
reluctant tone
seems insincere

Refusal of a Favor Good Example


You
You are
are to
to be
be commended
commended for
for your
your commitment
commitment to
to
restore
restore Napervilles
Napervilles historical
historical downtown
downtown shopping
shopping
district.
district. In
In this
this age
age of
of megamalls
megamalls and
and Internet
Internet
shopping,
shopping, the
the culture
culture of
of a
a traditional
traditional main
main street
street
lined
lined with
with home-owned
home-owned and
and operated
operated shops
shops needs
needs to
to
be
be preserved.
preserved.

The
The success
success of
of this
this project
project depends
depends on
on a
a good
good
project
project director.
director. The
The organizational,
organizational, leadership,
leadership, and
and
public
public relations
relations activities
activities you
you described
described demand
demand an
an
individual
individual with
with upper-level
upper-level managerial
managerial experience.
experience.
During
During the
the last
last year,
year, Hilstrom
Hilstrom has
has decentralized
decentralized its
its
organization,
organization, reducing
reducing the
the number
number of
of upper-level
upper-level
managers
managers to
to the
the minimal
minimal level
level needed.
needed. Although
Although our
our
current
current personnel
personnel shortage
shortage prevents
prevents us
us from
from lending
lending
you
you an
an executive,
executive, we
we do
do want
want to
to support
support your
your worthy
worthy
project.
project.

Kevin
Kevin Denny
Denny in
in our
our senior
senior executive
executive corps
corps has
has a
a keen
keen
interest
interest in
in historical
historical preservation,
preservation, having
having served
served on
on
the
the board
board of
of a
a similar
similar organization
organization while
while living
living in
in

Introduces
subject without
revealing answer
Gives reasons
that will seem
logical to reader
Subordinates
refusal in
dependent clause
of complex
sentence
Alludes to help in
another form
Closes on positive
note by offering
counterproposal

Refusal of Employee Request Good


Example
Providing
Providing our
our employees
employees the
the best
best working
working
environment
environment possible
possible is
is aa high
high priority
priority here
here at
at ICUP
ICUP
Enterprises.
Enterprises. Because
Because we
we want
want you
you to
to work
work at
at the
the
highest
highest level
level possible,
possible, your
your suggestion
suggestion to
to create
create an
an
employee
employee video
video game/computer
game/computer lounge
lounge has
has been
been
carefully
carefully considered.
considered. Taking
Taking a
a break
break from
from work
work to
to
conduct
conduct personal
personal Internet
Internet business
business or
or play
play a
a short
short
game
game of
of Solitaire
Solitaire or
or Minesweeper
Minesweeper can
can be
be aa good
good
way
way to
to keep
keep the
the mind
mind fresh
fresh and
and provide
provide a
a short
short
distraction
distraction from
from difficult
difficult projects.
projects.
Creating
Creating space
space dedicated
dedicated to
to employee
employee video
video games
games
and
and computer
computer breaks
breaks would
would be
be a
a complex
complex and
and
expensive
expensive project,
project, because
because of
of aa lack
lack of
of available
available
space
space and
and funding
funding for
for additional
additional electronic
electronic
equipment.
equipment. To
To provide
provide equal
equal access
access to
to all
all
employees,
employees, we
we would
would need
need at
at least
least 20
20 new
new
computers
computers with
with desk
desk space
space for
for each.
each. The
The cost
cost for
for

Cushions bad
news with
sincere
compliment for
suggestion
Transitions to
reasons and
provides
complete
explanation for
refusal
Restates reason
for saying No
to de-emphasize

Refusal of Employee Request Good


Example
Josie,
Josie, in
in response
response to
to your
your idea,
idea, II have
have submitted
submitted aa
request
request to
to management
management that
that we
we consider
consider adding
adding an
an
e-break
e-break to
to our
our company
company Internet
Internet policy
policy that
that will
will
allow
allow employees
employees to
to use
use the
the traditional
traditional 15-minute
15-minute
coffee
coffee break
break time
time to
to conduct
conduct personal
personal business
business on
on
their
their computers
computers or
or play
play short
short games
games likes
likes Solitaire
Solitaire
or
or Minesweeper.
Minesweeper. The
The article
article you
you sent
sent me
me last
last month
month
provided
provided some
some good
good research
research to
to support
support this
this idea.
idea.
Lets
Lets see
see how
how this
this goes,
goes, and
and we
we will
will revisit
revisit the
the
employee
employee video
video game/computer
game/computer lounge
lounge idea
idea in
in the
the
future.
future.

Restates reason for


saying No and
offers counterproposal to deemphasize refusal

Denying a Claim Bad Example


Your
Your message
message questioning
questioning your
your statement
statement has
has
been
been received.
received. I am
am sorry
sorry but
but we
we cannot
cannot
adjust
adjust your
your account as
as you requested.
requested. Clearly,
Clearly,
the
the statement
statement is
is correct.
correct.

Each
Each of
of the
the order forms you have
have completed
states
states that
that returns
returns are subject
subject to a
a 15
15 percent
percent
restocking
restocking charge. Surely you saw this
information
information printed
printed in
in bold
bold print
print on
on the
the order
order
forms,
forms, and
and our
our telephone
telephone operators
operators also
also
explain
explain our return policy thoroughly when
customers
customers place orders. I am sure you can
appreciate
appreciate the cost and effort we incur to
restock
restock merchandise
merchandise after
after the
the winter
winter ski
ski
season
season is
is over.
over.

Thank
Thank you
you for
for doing
doing business
business with
with us.
us. If you
you
have
have any
any further
further questions,
questions, please
please do not

Begins with obvious


idea
Includes unnecessary
apology for justified
decision and provides
refusal before reasons
Uses patronizing tone
that may offend
Presents explanation
that focuses on writer
and is too brief to be
understood
Uses clichs that may
undermine the
decision and may lead
to unnecessary
correspondence

Denying a Claim Good Example


Restocking
Restocking of
of Returned
Returned Merchandise
Merchandise
The
The HighFly
HighFly skis
skis you
you stocked
stocked this
this past
past season
season are
are
skillfully
skillfully crafted
crafted and
and made
made from
from the
the most
most innovative
innovative
materials
materials available.
available. Maintaining
Maintaining aa wide
wide selection
selection of
of
quality
quality skiing
skiing products
products is
is an
an excellent
excellent strategy
strategy for
for
developing
developing customer
customer loyalty
loyalty and
and maximizing
maximizing your
your
sales.
sales.

Uses subject line that


provides info without
revealing bad news
Uses resale to cushion
bad news
Presents clear
explanation behind
restocking policy with
emphasis on reader
benefits

Our
Our refund
refund policies
policies allows
allows you
you to
to keep
keep aa fully
fully stocked
stocked
inventory
inventory at
at the
the lowest
lowest possible
possible cost.
cost. You
You receive
receive full
full
refunds
refunds for
for merchandise
merchandise returned
returned within
within 10
10 days
days of
of
receipt.
receipt. For
For unsold
unsold merchandise
merchandise returned
returned after
after the
the
primary
primary selling
selling season,
season, aa modest
modest 15
15 percent
percent
restocking
restocking fee
fee is
is charged
charged to
to cover
cover our
our costs
costs of
of holding
holding Implies refusal by
this
this merchandise
merchandise until
until next
next season.
season. The
The enclosed
enclosed
stating amount of
check
check for
for $2,069.76
$2,069.76 covers
covers merchandise
merchandise you
you returned
returned
enclosed check
at
at the
the end
end of
of February.
February.
While
While relaxing
relaxing from
from another
another great
great skiing
skiing season,
season, take
take
a
a look
look at
at our
our new
new HighFly
HighFly skis
skis and
and other
other items
items

Shifts emphasis by
presenting silver-lining

Credit Denial Good Example


The
The items
items listed
listed in
in your
your order
order of
of May
May 6
6 have
have been
been selling
selling very
very
rapidly
in
recent
weeks.
Supplying
customers
demands
for
rapidly in recent weeks. Supplying customers demands for
the
the latest
latest in
in electronic
electronic technology
technology is
is sound
sound business
business practice.
practice.

Another
Another sound
sound practice
practice is
is careful
careful control
control of
of indebtedness,
indebtedness,
according
to
specialists
in
accounting
and
finance.
according to specialists in accounting and finance. Their
Their
formula
formula for
for control
control is
is to
to maintain
maintain at
at least
least aa 2-to-1
2-to-1 ratio
ratio of
of
current
current assets
assets to
to current
current liabilities.
liabilities. Experience
Experience has
has taught
taught us
us
that,
that, for
for the
the benefit
benefit of
of all
all concerned,
concerned, credit
credit should
should be
be
available
only
to
purchasers
who
meet
that
ratio.
Because
available only to purchasers who meet that ratio. Because
your
your ratio
ratio is
is approximately
approximately 11 1/4
1/4 to
to 1,
1, you
you are
are encouraged
encouraged to
to
make
make cash
cash purchases
purchases and
and take
take advantage
advantage of
of aa 1
1 percent
percent
discount.
discount.

By
By continuing
continuing to
to supply
supply your
your customers
customers with
with timely
timely
merchandise,
merchandise, you
you should
should be
be able
able to
to improve
improve the
the ratio.
ratio. Then,
Then,
we
would
welcome
an
opportunity
to
review
your
credit
we would welcome an opportunity to review your credit
application.
application. Use
Use the
the enclosed
enclosed envelope
envelope to
to send
send us
us your
your check
check
for
for $1,487.53
$1,487.53 to
to cover
cover your
your current
current order,
order, and
and your
your order
order will
will
be
be shipped
shipped promptly.
promptly.

Other
Other timely
timely items
items (such
(such as
as the
the most
most recent
recent in
in video
video games)
games)

Implies receipt of
order; uses resale
and implies approval
of business practices

De-emphasizes
refusal; uses positive
language for
counterproposal
Implies continued
business
Closes with sales
promotion

Complies with fair


credit practices
reason for denial

Adhering to the Fair Credit Reporting Act


Consumer may:
Receive contact information for credit bureau
Receive free copy of credit report
Request credit bureau investigate and correct inaccurate information
Request credit bureau not to distribute name for unsolicited offers
File complaints against consumer reporting agencies with the Federal Trade
Commission

Delivering Constructive Criticism


Gives the communicator a feeling of having exercised responsibility
Allows management to learn of changes that need to be made
Allows staff to modify techniques and become more successful
Helps staff perform better in the future

Constructive Criticism Bad Example


Dear
Dear Preston:
Preston:
Mallory
Mallory Welch,
Welch, a junior accountant in your
firm,
firm, has
has been
been working
working with
with us
us on-site
on-site for
for
about
about three
three weeks,
weeks, and
and her
her conduct
conduct is
is
deplorable.
deplorable. Her
Her demeanor
demeanor is absolutely
unprofessional;
unprofessional; her
her no-problem
no-problem attitude
attitude has
generated
generated so much
much friction
friction that
that a valued
employee
employee refuses to work in the same room
with
with her.
her.
Although
Although extensive
extensive knowledge of auditing is
important,
important, Welchs
Welchs personal
personal shortcomings
shortcomings far
outweigh
outweigh her
her technical
technical expertise.
expertise. II seriously
seriously
hope
hope Welch
Welch is able
able to
to take
take steps
steps to
to correct
correct the
the
situation.
situation.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,

Lacks adequate
buffer; first sentence
launches negative
discussion
Uses judgmental
terms and overly
negative words
Provides no
justification for claim
she is causing friction
Ends with reminder of
negative factors but
lacks sufficient
information for

Constructive Criticism Good Example


Dear
Dear Preston:
Preston:

Mallory
Mallory Welch, a junior accountant in your
your firm,
firm, has
has been
been
working
working with us on-site
on-site for
for about
about three
three weeks.
weeks. She
She is
is a
a very
very
proficient
proficient auditor
auditor and
and did
did an
an excellent
excellent job of straightening
straightening out
out a
a
technical
technical tangle
tangle in
in our
our electronic
electronic accounting
accounting system
system last
last week.
week.

Her
Her demeanor,
demeanor, while
while friendly
friendly and
and open, has
has caused
caused some of our
employees
employees to
to complain
complain that
that she
she does
does not
not take
take her
her work
work
seriously.
seriously. She jokes with other members of the audit team,
team,
which
which disrupts
disrupts the
the attention
attention of
of our
our employees.
employees. Two
Two or
or three
three of
our
our managers
managers also commented on
on Mallorys dressmore
dressmore
appropriate
appropriate for a round of tennis
tennis than
than a business office.
office.

Mallory
Mallory is obviously
obviously quite
quite good
good at
at her
her job;
job; II know
know from
conversations
conversations with
with her
her that
that she
she is
is sincere
sincere and
and has
has sound
sound
judgment.
judgment. Please
Please convey my concerns to Mallory confidentially
so that the rest of her time in our office will go more smoothly

Written with
positive intent to
help
Includes
specific,
verifiable facts
Acknowledges
both good and
bad points;
conveys fairmindedness
Ends with
pleasant note
that seeks to

Sharing Negative Organizational News


Convey the bad news as soon as possible
Give a complete, rational explanation
Show empathy and respond to feelings
Follow up

Negative Organizational News Bad


Example
COMPANY
COMPANY WILL RELOCATE
RELOCATE MARCH 5

Reveals bad news in


subject line

Effective
Effective March
March 5, 2012, we will relocate
relocate our
our
plant
plant facility
facility to Franklin, Tennessee.
Tennessee.
Approved
Approved by
by the
the Board
Board of
of Directors at its
last
last meeting,
meeting, this
this relocation
relocation will
will enable the
company
company to reduce
reduce its
its operating
operating expenses
expenses
by
by 15
15 percent.

Begins bluntly with bad


news

All
All employees
employees wishing
wishing to
to relocate
relocate should
should
notify
notify their
their supervisors
supervisors by
by the
the end
end of
of next
next
week.
week. We
We appreciate
appreciate your
your support in this
move.
move.

Is clear on the next step


but shows no empathy

Explains company
benefits but nothing to
help employees
understand

Ends with insincere clich


Sends highly sensitive

Negative Organizational News Good Example


Proposed
Proposed Plan
Plan for
for Increased
Increased Manufacturing
Manufacturing Capacity
Capacity
Our company has thrived
thrived by
by taking
taking advantage
advantage of
of
international business opportunities. Outsourcing our service
call center
center to India
India 10
10 years
years ago
ago helped
helped to
to control
control our
our
operating costs through a period of significant growth.
The dynamics of the economy in India have changed, and we
can
can now justify relocating
relocating our call center
center within
within the
the United
United
States.
States. We
We believe
believe that
that having all of our support personnel,
from accounting to sales to engineering, under one roof will
provide
provide us the flexibility
flexibility to
to meet
meet the
the business
business challenges
challenges of
of
the
the next
next decade.
decade. Our
Our present
present facility
facility in
in Los Angeles is not
capable of achieving this objective.
High
High property
property taxes
taxes and
and transportation cost increases each
year are additional reasons to consider alternative sites.
Likewise, attracting new talent into this high-cost metro area
has
has become
become more
more difficult
difficult each
each year.
year. In fact, both of
of our
our

Uses subject line


to introduce
topic but does
not reveal bad
news
Uses buffer to
introduce
familiar topic
and lead to
reasons
Provides rational
explanation,
including
benefits for
company and

Negative Organizational News Good Example


While
While relocating
relocating could
could provide
provide a long-term economic
economic
benefit
benefit to
to the
the company,
company, moving
moving out
out of
of Los
Los Angeles
Angeles
could
could enhance
enhance the quality of life for us all. In a
suburban
suburban city,
city, we
we could
could enjoy
enjoy day-to-day
day-to-day living
living in a
relaxed,
relaxed, small-town environment
environment with
with all the benefits
of
of a large
large city
city only
only a
a short
short drive away. These factors
have
have convinced
convinced us
us that moving
moving the
the manufacturing
manufacturing
facility
facility to
to Franklin,
Franklin, Tennessee,
Tennessee, a
a thriving
thriving suburb
suburb
located
located approximately
approximately 18 miles south of Nashville,
would
would benefit
benefit the
the company
company and
and employees.
employees.
Your
Your supervisor
supervisor will
will explain
explain the logistics of the
relocation
relocation at your units next meeting. In the
meantime,
meantime, visit the Franklin link on the company
intranet
intranet to
to read more
more about
about what
what Tennessee
Tennessee can
can
offer
offer us
us and
and our
our families.
families. Check
Check back
back often
often for
for
updates
updates on the
the FAQ
FAQ page
page designed
designed to
to respond
respond to
to

Presents bad
news while
reminding of
receiver benefits
Shows empathy
by assuring jobs
not in jeopardy
Follows up
assuring
continued
exchange of
timely
information
Ends with

First Paragraph Neutral Statement


State in ONE or two sentences
Sets the topic in the mind of the receiver
Does NOT state bad news
Does NOT imply good news
Provides a buffer to customer that the bad news
that follows
Serves as a transition into the discussion of
reasons

Middle Paragraph(s) Reasons then Bad


News

Largest portion of the message


Provides smooth transition from 1st paragraph,
neutral statement, to explanation (reasons)
Main idea (bad news) in 1st part of a complex or
compound sentence
Include a counterproposal or silver lining

Bad News
Reasons should build up to the bad news
State the bad news once:
NOT in simple sentence
NOT in a paragraph by itself
NOT in the first or final paragraph

Put bad news in DC of complex sentence or 1 st IC of compound sentence


DC, IC
Although I cannot attend the conference, I will be happy to.

IC;IC IC, but IC


I will not be able to attend the conference, but I will be happy to

Bad News
Apologizing after stating bad news is acceptable but NEVER put apology in final, positive
paragraph
Counterproposal
Although we are unable to repair your couch for free, we would be happy to recommend a repair
shop that does quality repair work for minimal costs.

Silver lining
Although we need to raise your rent each month by $50, you will be happy to learn that we will
be painting and recarpeting your apartment.

Final Paragraph Positive Close


State in ONE or two sentences
Do not include negatives or apologize
Be forward looking
Can include resale or sales promotion

Example:
Gulf South Communications Corporations has purchased a significant number
of season tickets to the Riverside Community Theatre since its inaugural
season in 1979. Gulf South distributes the tickets to special customers,
vendors, and employees to foster goodwill and promote the company.
Due to the financial crisis in the telecommunications industry, Gulf Souths
management has been forced to eliminate all noncritical expenditures. As a
supervisor in the HR department, you have been asked to inform Steve
Cafferty, the business manager of the theatre, that Gulf South will no
purchase season tickets this year.
Write a script for how you would deliver the bad news message.

Assignment #3: Chapter 7 Denying


a Claim Email
You are the Manager of Sales at the Apple Store on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. A recent
customer, Jeremy Black, purchased the iPhone 6 Plus from your store just a month ago, January 24,
2015.
Jeremy brought it back to your store because the screen has developed a scratch across it, and he
has asked you to look at it to see if the one-year Apple warranty that comes with the iPhone 6 Plus
will cover the cost to replace the screen. The sales clerk who took the iPhone from Jeremy stated
that the service tech people would need to look at the iPhone and someone would get back with him
regarding the warranty of the product.
After reviewing the product, the service technicians have determined that the products scratch is
due to carelessness on the part of the customer, not the fault of the iPhone. Apples warranty only
covers Apple products against defects in materials and workmanship when used normally in
accordance with Apple's published guidelines for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of original
retail purchase by the end-user purchaser ("Warranty Period").
Email Jeremy Black (mblair@sbuniv.edu) explaining that you cannot honor his claim. Suggest helping
him in any way you can.
Due: Tuesday, September 27th (before class) 25 points

DELIVERING
BAD-NEWS
MESSAGES
BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
CHAPTER 7

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