How to Communicate Bad News Effectively Essay

Communication is the activity of transportation information through the deepen of thoughts, nitty-grittys, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. Communication requires a sender, a contentedness, and a recipient role, although the poser need not be present or advised of the senders intent to communicate at the term of intercourse thus communication batch emit across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating dampies shargon an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is free once the receiver has understood the communicate of the sender. Feedback is critical to effective communication between routineicipants. A headache prat flourish when all objectives of the government are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization essential be able to convey their message properly.Business communication is the process of establishing a common t akeing between or among people within a business environment. Business communication is any communication used to build partnerships, in rateectual resources, to promote an idea, a product, and service, with the objective of creating value for your business. Business communication involves constant fertilize of information. Business communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinators in an organization, between organization and society at large it is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any organization. Business communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company wear to be communicated to peoplewithin and outside the organization. Business communication is set by certain rules and norms. Effective communication jocks in building goodwill of an organizati on.Importance of business communication to managersBusiness managers should be able to communicate in enumerate style. -Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the confinement to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to amend their performance if it is not up to mark. -Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for finis-making process as it dishs in identifying and assessing alternative course of actions. -Communication excessively plays a crucial role in fastening individuals attitudes, i.e. a well-informed individual will ware let on attitude than a less informed individual. -Communication also serves in socializing in forthwiths life the only presence of another individual fosters communication.The flow of communication in an organizationThe flow of communication in an organization can be in the form of Downward Communication flow of information from higher level in an organiza tion to a lower level in an organization. In other words, communication from a superior to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers.Downward communication is used by managers for providing feedback on employees performance, giving job instructions, Communicating the organizations spendion and vision to the employees. Upward Communication flow of information from lower authority to higher authority. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their view s and ideas and to participate in the decision making process.Upwardcommunication leads to a more(prenominal) committed and loyal custody in an organization because the employees are stopn a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to be about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisors and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improved things. Horizontal Communication flow of information among peers within the same work unit. This is the communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontal equivalent organizational members. Cross-Channel Communication exchange of information among employees in different work units who are incomplete subordinates nor superior to one another.Negative /Bad messageBad message situations where there is either a feeling of no hope, a threat to a persons mental or physical well-being, a risk of upsetting an establish ed lifestyle, or where a message is given which conveys to an individual few choices in his or her life. Both of the downward and cross channel communication can be related to the concept of relating sturdy message to an employee.It can be said that how you communicate that deadly message will have a significant impact on your organization and its reputation.Bad message can be in any form, it can bei.Termination of appointmentii.Laying off employeesiii.Failure in an interviewiv.Dealing with bad performancev.Communicating a bad financial situationvi.Rejection of a proposal, among othersCommunicating bad message is the most difficult information to convey. To those it affects though, it is the most important communication of all. Delivering bad passwordworthiness can be the worst part of the job for any manager. Thats not because the truth, on its face, is difficult to convey. Its the anxiety of the possibility of handling it poorly and knowing that doing so can correct the impac t on your employees, their productivity, and your wholecompany.Any communication can be challenging flush when the parole being delivered is positive, but when delivered is ostracise is known as bad message. In business a letter, memo or email that conveys prohibit or unpleasant information- information that is apt(predicate) to disappoint, upset, or even fury a reader. Bad messages include rejections (in response to job applications, promotion call fors, and the like) negative evaluations, and resolutions of policy changes that dont benefit the reader.What constitutes bad messageBad message is a fact of life for all business professionals, from rejecting job applicants to downturn speaking invitations. Bad message means the reader or the person receiving the intelligence activity will not be able to accomplish his/her goals. Bad message directly can often be very damaging and unnecessarily hurtful.Goals of communicating bad messageGoals are distinctly needed a lot to acco mplish in one message. These are rough of the goals you can develop negative/bad messages that reduce the stress for everyone involved and improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts. There are two goals in communicating bad word we have the primary and secondary goal.Primary goalsi. Make the receiver understand the bad password.ii. Help the receiver accept the bad news.iii. Maintain a positive flick of you and your organization.Secondary goalsi. Reduce bad feelingsii. Convey fairnessiii. Eliminate future correspondenceiv. Avoid creating legal liability or responsibility for you or your organization. v. opt appropriate tone and organizationUsing the 3 writing processStep 1 Plan Your MessageWhen planning your message, you cant reduce the fact that your audience does not want to see to it what you have to say. To minimize the damage to business relationships and to encourage the acceptance of your message, analyze the situation carefully to mend understand the conte xt in which the recipient will process your message. Be sure to consider your purpose thoroughly whether its straightforward or of more complicated (such as creating a negative performance review, in which you not only give the employee feedback on past performance but also attention the person develop a plan to improve future performance.)Similarly, your receiver profile can be simple and obvious in some situations and far more complex in others (such as telling a business partner that youve decided to terminate the partnership.) With a clear purpose and your audiences needs in mind, identify and gather the information your audience will need in order to understand and accept your message.Bad messages can be intensely personal to the recipient, and in many cases recipients have a right to expect a thorough explanation of your answer. Selecting the right medium is critical when delivering bad messages.For example, you might badly damage a business relationship if you use percentag e mail to reject a long-time employees request for a promotion. Since the employee would for certain have some important questions to ask, and you would certainly want to soothe hurt feelings, a face-to-face meeting would be the best choice for this situation.Step 2 Write Your MessageWhen conveying a bad message to your colleague, every aspect of effective, diplomatic writing is amplified after all, the audience does not want to ascertain a bafd message and might disagree strongly with you. Be sure to maintain the you-attitude, and strive for polite lyric poem that emphasizesthe positive whenever appropriate.If your credibility hasnt already been established with an audience, lay out your qualifications for making the decision in question. Recipients of bad messages who dont think you are credible are more likely to challenge your decision. Thats why, for example, messages related to late payments are often signed by a higher executive. And as always, projecting and protecting yo ur companys image is a prime concern. If youre not careful, a negative answer could spin out of control into negative feelings about your company. When you use language that conveys respect and avoids an accusing tone, you protect your audiences pride.In addition, you can ease the sense of disappointment by using positive words rather than negative ones. Chances are youll spend more time on word, sentence, and paragraph choices for negative/bad messages than for any other type of business writing. People who receive bad message often look for subtle shares of meaning, seeking flaws in your reasoning or other ways to challenge the decision. By writing clearly and sensitively, you can take some of the sting out of the bad message and sensitively, you can take some of the sting out of bad news and help your reader to accept your decision and to move on.Step 3 Complete Your MessageYour need for carefully pay attention to detail continues as you complete your message. Revise your conten t to pay back sure everything is clear, complete, and concise bearing in mind that even small flaws are magnified as auditors react to your negative news. Produce clear, professional documents, and proofread carefully to eliminate mistakes. Finally, be especially sure that your negative messages are delivered promptly and successfully. Waiting for bad message is bad enough without wondering whether a message was lost.CHOOSING THE BEST APPROACHConveying bad message to a colleague is never a pleasant task but breaking it at the wrong time or in the wrong way can be the worse, so its importantto know the best plan of attackes to breaking bad news. When writing bad message, you will need to get the direct or indirect approach however, there are no clear guidelines to help you choose in every case. Ask yourself the following questions to guide your message i. Will the bad news come as a shock?ii. Does the recipient prefer short messages that get right to the point? iii. How importa nt is this news to the recipient?iv. Do you need to maintain a coterminous working relationship with the recipient? v. Do you need to get the recipients attention?vi. What is your organizations preferred style?vii. How much complete communication do you want?CHOOSING POSITIVE WORDSExamples of negative phrasings Positive alternativesYour request does not make any sense Please clarify your request Due to unforeseen circumstances I wont be able to attend your meeting Because my flight has been delayed I will miss for your meeting. Unfortunately we havent received your payment. Your payment hasnt arrived yet. The enclosed signature is wrong Please recheck the enclosed signature. APPROACHES TO DELIVERING BAD passThe direct approach and the indirect approachEffective bad news messages convey the negative information the receiver must receive with an eye toward keeping future business.Without even thinking about it, youve probably been using both the direct and indirect approaches to deliver bad news your wide-cut life. When you come right out and tell somebody some bad news, youre using a direct approach. When you try to demote the impact by easing your way into the conversation in the first place delivering the bad news, youre using an indirect approach. Chances are that youve already developed an instinctive feel for which approach to use in many situations.In conveying your message, you will need to make a similar choice wheneveryou deliver bad news however, there are no clear guidelines to help you choose in every case. Most bad news messages will be better accepted by our listeners if we use the indirect approach. The care we take to soften the tease will result in effective messages that consider the readers feelings and keeping their business.The direct approachWe use the direct message when the receiveri. Prefers bad news firstii. Is emotionally uninvolvediii. Will be unaffected by the bad newsThe Indirect Approach for bad MessagesThe indirect appro ach helps recipient prepare for the bad message by presenting the reasons for the bad message first. When done right, it doesnt obscure bad message, delay it, or limits your responsibility. Rather, the indirect approach eases the blow and help recipient accept the situation. 1. Open with a bufferA buffer expresses your appreciation for being thought of, assures the reader of your attention to the request, compliments the recipient, or indicates your understanding of the recipients needs. A buffer must not insult the audience with insincere flattery or self-promoting blather. Because it sets the stage for the bad news to follow, it must be both sincere and relevant so that readers dont feel they are being set up.The first step in using the indirect approach is to start with a buffer, a neutral, non-controversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message. A buffer establishes common ground with your listener moreover, if youre responding to a request, a buffer vali dates that request. Some critics believe that using a buffer is manipulative and unethical, even dishonest. However, buffers are unethical only if theyre insincere or deceptive. Showing consideration for the feelings of others is never dishonest.Here are several types of effective buffers you could use to tactfully open a bad message. viii. clasp (Thank you for applying for a change of duties). ix. Agreement (We both know how hard it is to make a profit in this industry). x. Cooperationxi. Understandingxii. PraiseHere are some other things to avoid when using a buffer to open a bad message xiii. Avoid saying no.xiv. Avoid using a know-it-all tone.xv. Avoid wordy and irrelevant phrases and sentences.xvi. Avoid apologizing.xvii. Avoid using a buffer that is too long2. Provide ReasonsBy giving your reasons effectively, you help maintain focus on the issues at hand and defuse the emotions that always accompany significantly bad news. As you lay out your reasons, guide your readers resp onses by starting with the most positive points first and moving forward to increasingly negative ones. Provide enough detail for the receiver to understand your reasons, but be concise a long, roundabout explanation will just make your audience impatient. Your reasons need to convince your receiver that your decision is justified, fair, and logical. 3. lodge with a Clear Statement of the Bad NewsFirst, de-emphasize the bad message Minimize the space or time devoted to the bad newswithout trivializing it or withholding any important information. Subordinate bad news in a complex or compound sentence (My department is already shorthanded, so Ill need all my staff for at least(prenominal) the next two months) This construction pushes the bad news into the middle of the sentence, the point of least emphasis. Embed bad news in the middle of a paragraph or use parenthetical expression (Our profits, which are down, are only part of the picture).However, keep in mind that its possible to abuse de-emphasis. For instance,if the primary point of your message is that profits are down, it would be inappropriate to marginalise that news by burying it in the middle of a sentence.Second, use a conditional (if or when) statement to imply that the audience could have received, or might someday receive, a favorable answer (When you have more managerial experience, you are welcome to reapply). Such a statement could motivate applicants to improve their qualifications.Third, emphasize what you can do or have done, rather than what you cannot do. (The five positions currently open have been altered with people whose qualification match those bring out in our research). By focusing on the positive and implying the bad news, you make the impact less personal. When implying bad news, be sure your audience understands the entire message including the bad news. Withholding negative information or overemphasizing positive information is unethical and unfair to your reader. If an im plied message might lead to uncertainty, state your decision in direct terms. Just be sure to avoid overly blunt statements that are likely to cause pain and anger.TECHNIQUES FOR CUSHIONING THE BAD heart i. Position the bad news strategically, avoid the spotlightPut the bad news in the middle of a paragraph halfway through the message ii. Use a long sentenceDont put the bad news in a short, simple sentence.iii. Place the bad message in a subordinate clauseAlthough we have no opening for an individual with your qualifications at this time, we are pleased that you thought of us when you started your job search. iv. Be clear but not overly graphicv. Imply the refusalvi. Suggest a compromise or an alternativevii. Consider using the passive voicePassive-voice verbs focus attention on actions rather than on personalities. They are useful in being tactful.COMMUNICATING BAD MESSAGE EFFECTIVELY 5CSOnce you have carefully choosing the approach you would use to communicate effectively using t hese techniques you should know that the objective of a bad message is to convey the bad news without bruise the readers feelings.5Cs to communicate bad message effectivelyi. CutbacksAvoid statements that might involve the company in legal actions. One thing that wont be appreciated right now is sugar coating. Dont wrap the news in pretty paper or leaping around it. Plainly specify who, what, where, and how. ii. ContextExplain the reasons for the problem dont be out of context be on point and give reasons, do not deviate from the reason to please the listener. iii. CompassionTry as much as possible not to blame anyone around the resulting condition. pry and proactively acknowledge natural emotions. iv. CandorCandor means the quality of being open and honest in expression. The truth may hurt, but any crusade to mislead is unforgiveable. v. ConsistencyConform yourself in conveying the news for the sake of accuracy and fairness. Everything communicates avoid saying one thing and doi ng another.ELEMENTS /TIP OF BAD MESSAGE OF COMMUNICATIONi. Set the stageWhen framing your delivery of the message, first try to get into their heads and think about whats important to them. Think about how the news will impact the audience and also think about how it impacts you. Then relay that information. By revealing your personal feelings about the situation, you can build a rapport and practice empathy that can help to fend off the audiences natural reactions which may be anger, resentment or any number of other feelings. ii. Be directAvoid talking too much and clouding the issues. Its important to succinctly explain the situation and the steps that must be taken. Donttry to sugar coat the message because youll likely end up confusing your audience. iii. have intercourse the problemWhen bad news has to be delivered despite the hard work and efforts of the team, it is imperative that you acknowledge and recognize their efforts and then carefully explain the decision along wit h the plan for turning things around. iv. live on what you want the audience to feel, think or do after they hear your news. Then, as youre framing your delivery, be sure to communicate the facts, the steps that are being taken, and what you need them to do. v. PracticeAs with just about anything, practice makes perfect. By rehearsing the conversation, youll become more comfortable and confident about what needs to be said. And, when you deliver the news with confidence, your audience is much more likely to not only respect you, but also be able to accept that the bad news is out there and youre now doing everything you can to make things right. vi. Stay on topicWhen having to deliver bad news, its very slack to take an off-ramp and become side-tracked as a way to avoid the inevitable. By doing this, youre only making the task harder for yourself and more confusing for your audience. vii. Dont let your audience steer the conversationBad news can make people emotional, particularly when it involves performance feedback or the need to terminate employment. Acknowledge the other persons feelings, give them a minute (or 10) to collect themselves, and move forward with the conversation. Putting it off for another day doesnt help anyone in the long run. viii. Provide alternativesWhen its necessary to provide critical feedback, its necessary to also provide alternative actions as well as a timeline for completion. While you may have some concrete ideas for actions that need to be taken, youll be better served by following the next two steps before firming up your plan. ix. Ask for feedbackAsk your audience open-ended questions that are directly related to the issue at hand and do what you can to make the environment safe enough to allow the person or people to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. x. Listen. By not speaking and trying to fill in the gaps in the conversation, you are opening the door for the other person to provide feedback and to commu nicate what they really think. In addition, make sure youre actively listening to what they have to say rather than thinking about how great it will be when the conversation is finally over. By listening, youll be much better able to work with the person or team to move beyond the bad message and begin the work that needs to be done to reanimate the situation.DONTS IN COMMUNICATING BAD MESSAGEi. Do not make promises about the future that may not hold true. ii. Do not overreact.iii. Do not try to protect others from bad news or yourself from sharing it. iv. Dont make initial statement or announcement through emails. v. Dont flout company policy if you want to share something you have been asked not to. vi. Dont let the receiver hear the news outside.vii. Dont communicate bad news through text messages. viii. Dont hide behind company policy.