1. Writing Negative Messages
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
Apply the three-step writing process to negative messages
Explain the differences between the direct and the indirect approaches to negative messages, including when it is appropriate to use each one
Identify the risks of using the indirect approach and explain how to avoid such problems
Explain the importance of maintaining high standards of ethics and etiquette when delivering negative messages
Explain the role of communication in crisis management
List three guidelines for delivering negative news to job applicants and give a brief explanation of each one
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2. Goals of Negative Messages
Convey the message
Ensure acceptance
Promote goodwill
Maintain a good corporate image
Minimize future correspondence
Delivering negative information is rarely easy and never enjoyable, but with some helpful guidelines, you can craft messages that minimize negative reactions. Whenever you deliver negative news, you have five main goals:
To convey the bad news
To gain acceptance for it
To maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience
To maintain a good image for your organization
To reduce future correspondence on the matter
Five goals are clearly a lot to accomplish in one message. However, by learning some simple techniques and following the three-step process, you can develop negative messages that reduce the stress for everyone involved and improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts.
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3. The Three-Step Process
Analyze Situation
Gather Information
Select Medium
Get Organized
Revise
Produce
Proofread
Distribute
Adapt to
the Audience
Compose
the Message
Planning
Completing
Writing
When planning negative messages, you can not avoid the fact that your audience does not want to hear what you have to say. To minimize the damage to business relationships and to encourage the acceptance of your message, plan carefully. With a clear purpose and your audience’s needs in mind, gather the information your audience will need in order to understand and accept your message.
Selecting the right medium is critical. Experts advise that bad news for employees should be delivered in person whenever possible. However, an increasing number of managers appear to be using electronic media to convey negative messages. Finally, the organization of your message requires particular care. This chapter presents in-depth advice on using both direct and indirect approaches to organization.
By writing with clarity and sensitivity, you can help your reader accept the decision and move on. Using language that conveys respect and avoids an accusing tone protects your audience’s pride. This kind of communication etiquette is always important, but it demands special care with negative messages. Moreover, you can ease the sense of disappointment by using positive words rather than negative words.
The need for careful attention to detail continues as you are completing your message. Revise your content to make sure everything is clear, complete, and concise. Produce clean, professional documents and proofread carefully to eliminate mistakes. Finally, be sure to deliver messages promptly; withholding bad news can be unethical and even illegal.
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4. Choosing the Approach Working Relationships Getting Attention
Organizational
Preferences
Audience
Reaction
Importance
of the News
In your business writing, you will need to choose the direct or indirect approach whenever you deliver bad news; however, there are no clear guidelines to help you choose in every case. You will have to choose one approach or the other, so ask yourself the following questions:
Will the bad news come as a shock?
Does the reader prefer short messages that get right to the point?
How important is this news to the reader?
Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader?
Do you need to get the reader’s attention?
What is your organization’s preferred style?
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5. The Direct Approach Bad News Reasons Positive Close Step 1 Step 2
Flow of the Message
Bad News
Step 1
Reasons
Step 2
Positive Close
Step 3
Substance of the Message
A negative message organized using the direct approach starts with a clear statement of the bad news, proceeds to the reasons for the decision (perhaps offering alternatives), and ends with a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship with the audience.
If you have chosen the direct approach to convey bad news, come right out and say it. Maintain a calm, professional tone that keeps the focus on the news and not on individual failures. Also, if necessary, remind the reader why you are writing.
In most cases, you will follow the direct opening with an explanation of why the news is negative. The extent of your explanation depends on the nature of your news and your relationship with the reader. You will encounter situations in which explaining negative news is neither appropriate nor helpful, such as when the reasons are confidential, excessively complicated, or irrelevant to the reader. To maintain a cordial working relationship with the reader, you might want to explain why you cannot provide the information.
After you have explained your negative news, close the message in a positive and respectful manner. If you can, consider offering your reader an alternative solution, in order to preserve the business relationship.
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6. The Indirect Approach Buffer Reasons Bad News Step 3 Positive Close
Flow of the Message
Buffer
Step 1
Reasons
Step 2
Bad
News
Step 3
Positive
Close
Step 4
Substance of the Message
The indirect approach helps readers prepare for the bad news by outlining the reasons for the situation before presenting the bad news itself. However, the indirect approach is not meant to obscure bad news, delay it, or limit your responsibility. The purpose of this approach is to ease the blow and help readers accept the news. When done poorly, the indirect approach can be disrespectful and even unethical. When done well, it is a good example of “you-oriented” communication crafted with attention to both ethics and etiquette.
The indirect approach follows a four-part sequence:
Open with a buffer.
Continue with a logical, neutral explanation of the reasons for the news.
Follow with a clear but diplomatic statement of the bad news.
Close with a positive forward-looking statement.
The next four slides cover this four-part sequence in detail.
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7. Open With a Buffer Respectful Relevant Neutral Transitional
The first step in using the indirect approach is to write a buffer, a neutral, non-controversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message. A buffer establishes common ground with your reader, and if you are responding to a request, a buffer validates that request. Make sure your buffer is respectful, relevant, and neutral. Moreover, make sure it provides a smooth transition to the reasons that follow.
Transitional
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8. Reasons and Information
Readers’
Responses
Sufficient
Details
Company
Policy
Explanation Section
An effective buffer serves as a stepping stone to the next part of your message, in which you build up the explanations and information that will culminate in your negative news. An ideal explanation section leads readers to your conclusion before you come right out and say it. By 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’ responses by starting with the most positive points first and moving forward to the increasingly negative ones.
Provide enough detail for the audience to understand your reasons, but be concise. Your reasons need to convince your audience that your decision is justified, fair, and logical.
Avoid hiding behind company policy to cushion your bad news.
Remember that well-written reasons are detailed, tactful, individualized, unapologetic, and positive.
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9. De-Emphasize the Bad News Use a Conditional Statement
Deliver the Bad News
Three Techniques
De-Emphasize the Bad News
Use a Conditional Statement
Focus on the Positive
Courtesy
Clarity
Three techniques are especially useful for saying “no” as clearly and as kindly as possible.
First, you can de-emphasize the bad news in a number of ways: minimizing the space and time devoted to it, subordinating it within a complex or compound sentence, or embedding it in the middle of a paragraph or within a parenthetical expression.
However, keep in mind that it is possible to abuse de-emphasis. State the negative news clearly, then make a smooth transition to any positive news that might balance the story.
Second, use a conditional (if or when) statement to imply that the audience could have received, or might someday receive, a favorable answer: for example, “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. By focusing on the positive and implying the bad news, you make the impact less personal and soften the blow.
Make sure your audience understands the entire message, including the bad news. If an implied 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.
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10. Close on a Positive Note
Build
Goodwill
Suggest
Action
Look to the Future
Avoid Negativity
Limit Correspondence
Remain Optimistic
Practice Sincerity
The conclusion is your opportunity to emphasize your respect for your audience, even though you have just delivered unpleasant news. A positive close builds goodwill, suggests action, and looks to the future.
The following guidelines will help you compose effective conclusions:
Avoid a negative or uncertain conclusion. Do not refer to, repeat, or apologize for the bad news, and refrain from expressing any doubt that your reasons will be accepted.
Limit future correspondence. Encourage additional communication only if you are willing to discuss your decision further.
Be optimistic about the future. Do not anticipate problems (avoid statements such as “Should you have further problems, please let us know”).
Be sincere. Steer clear of clichés that are insincere in view of the bad news (if you can not help, do not say, “If we can be of any help, please contact us”).
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11. Adapting to Your Audience
Cultural
Differences
Internal Versus
External Audiences
Even more than other business messages, negative messages require that you focus on your audience and be as sensitive as possible to their needs. Therefore, you may need to adapt your message to cultural differences or to the differences between internal and external audiences.
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12. Cultural Differences Proper Tone Organization Cultural Conventions
Even though bad news is unwelcome in any language, the conventions for passing it on to business associates can vary considerably from country to country. If you are communicating across cultures, you will want to use the tone, organization, and other cultural conventions that your audience expects. Only then can you avoid the inappropriate or even offensive approaches that could jeopardize your business relationship.
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13. The Type of Audience Internal External Timeliness Completeness
Diversity
Confidentiality
You will want to adapt your negative messages according to whether your audience is inside or outside the organization. Recipients inside your company frequently have expectations for negative messages that differ from those of recipients outside the company.
Most insiders will expect more detail, including how the bad news might affect pay raises, promotions, and project funding. They will also expect to be informed before the general public is told. After years of seemingly endless upheavals and bad news, however, many employees are less inclined to believe what they hear from management.
Negative messages to outsiders require attention to the diversity of those audiences and concern for the confidentiality of internal information. A single message will have multiple audiences, all with differing opinions and agendas. You may not be able to explain things to the level of detail that some outsiders want, if doing so would release proprietary information.
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14. Maintain High Standards
Ethics
Etiquette
Laws and Regulations
Human Impact
Emotional Reactions
All business messages demand attention to ethics and etiquette; however, these considerations take on special importance when you are delivering bad news, for several reasons. First, a variety of laws and regulations dictate the content and delivery of many business messages with potentially negative content, such as the release of financial information by a public company. Second, negative messages can have a significant negative impact on the lives of those receiving them. Even if the news is conveyed legally and conscientiously, good ethical practice demands that these situations be approached with care and sensitivity. Third, emotions often run high when negative messages are involved, for both the sender and the receiver. Senders not only need to manage their own emotions but also need to consider the emotional state of their audiences.
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15. Negative Messages Routine Business Employment Issues
Organizational News
In the course of your business career, you may write a wide variety of negative messages, from announcing declines in revenue to giving negative performance reviews. The following sections offer examples of the most common negative messages, dealing with topics such as routine business matters, employment messages, and organizational news.
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16. Routine Business Requests
Be Polite
But Firm
Consider
Alternatives
Do Not Imply
Compliance
Select the
Approach
Manage
Your Time
Saying no is a routine part of business and should not reflect negatively on you. If you said yes to every request that crossed your desk, you would never get any work done. Consider the following points as you develop routine negative messages:
Choose the approach. The direct approach will work best for most routine negative responses. Your audience gets the answer quickly, and it saves you time. The indirect approach works best if the stakes are high, if you or your company has an established relationship with the person making the request, or you are forced to deny a request that you may have granted in the past.
Manage your time carefully. Focus your limited time on the most important relationships and requests; craft quick, standard responses for less important situations.
If the matter is closed, do not imply that it is still open. If your answer is truly no, avoid phrases such as, “Let me think about it and get back to you” as a way to delay saying no.
Offer alternative ideas if you can. Remember to use your time wisely in such matters. Unless the relationship is vital to your company, you probably should not spend time researching alternatives for the other person.
Do not imply that other assistance or information might be available if it is not. An empty attempt to soothe hostile feelings could simply lead to another request you will have to refuse.
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17. Status of Transactions
Customer Expectations
Modify
Expectations
Resolve
the Situation
Repair the
Relationship
Have
Been Set
Have Not
Communication Goals
Consider
Apology
Avoid
Bad news about transactions is always unwelcome and usually unexpected. These messages have three goals: to modify the customer’s expectations regarding the transaction, to explain how you plan to resolve the situation, and to repair whatever damage might have been done to the business relationship.
If you have not done anything specific to set the customer's expectations—such as promising delivery within 24 hours—the message simply needs to inform the customer, with little or no emphasis on apologies. If you did set the customer’s expectations and now find you cannot meet them, your task is more complicated. In addition to resetting the customer’s expectations and explaining how you will resolve the problem, some messages need to include an element of apology.
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18. Claims and Adjustments
Things to Employ
Things to Avoid
Courtesy and Tact
Accepting Blame
Indirect Approach
Making Accusations
Almost every customer who makes a claim is emotionally involved; therefore, the indirect approach is usually the best approach for a refusal. Your job as a writer is to avoid accepting responsibility for the unfortunate situation and yet avoid blaming or accusing the customer. To steer clear of these pitfalls, pay special attention to the tone of your message. Keep in mind that tact and courtesy can build goodwill, even while denying the claim.
Avoid language that might have a negative impact on the reader. Instead, demonstrate that you understand and have considered the complaint. Then, even if the claim is unreasonable, rationally explain why you are refusing the request. Remember, do not apologize and do not rely on company policy. End the message on a respectful and action-oriented note.
If you deal with enough customers over a long enough period, chances are you will get a request that is particularly outrageous. You need to control your emotions and approach the situation as calmly as possible to avoid saying or writing anything that the recipient might interpret as defamation.
Understanding
Being Negative
Positive Attitude
Defaming Others
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19. Organizational News Normal Circumstances Crisis Communication
As a manager, you may need to issue negative announcements regarding some aspect of your products, services, or operations. Most of these scenarios have unique challenges that must be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but the general advice offered here applies to all of them. One key difference among all these messages is whether you have time to plan the announcement. The following slides address the two types of negative organizational news: communicating under normal circumstances and communication during emergencies.
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20. Normal Circumstances Match the Approach to the Situation
Allow for Planning and Managing a Response
Match the Approach to the Situation
Consider Unique Needs of Each Group
Give Each Audience Time to React
When making negative announcements, follow these guidelines:
Match your approach to the situation. A modest price increase will not shock most customers, so the direct approach is fine. However, canceling a product that people count on is another matter, so building up to the news via the indirect approach might be better.
Consider the unique needs of each group. Various groups of people will have different information needs.
Give each audience enough time to react as needed. For instance, employees, particularly high-level professionals and managers, may need up to six months or more to find new jobs.
Give yourself enough time to plan and manage a response. Chances are that you are going to be hit with complaints, questions, or product returns after you make your announcement, so make sure you are ready with answers and additional follow-up information.
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21. Normal Circumstances Stay Positive but Avoid False Optimism
Offer Leadership and Encouragement
Stay Positive but Avoid False Optimism
Minimize the Element of Surprise
Seek Expert Advice When You’re Not Sure
Look for positive angles but do not exude false optimism. If eliminating a seldom-used employee benefit means employees will save money, by all means promote that positive angle. On the other hand, laying off 10,000 people does not give them “an opportunity to explore new horizons.” It is a traumatic event that can affect employees, their families, and their communities for years.
Minimize the element of surprise whenever possible. This step can require considerable judgment on your part, as well as awareness of any applicable laws. In general, if you recognize that current trends are pointing toward negative results sometime in the near future, it is often best to let your audience know ahead of time.
Seek expert advice if you are not sure. Many significant negative announcements have important technical, financial, or legal elements that require the expertise of lawyers, accountants, or other specialists.
Negative situations will test your skills as a communicator and leader. People may turn to you and say, “Okay, so things are bad; now what do we do?” Inspirational leaders try to seize such opportunities as a chance to reshape or reinvigorate the organization, and they offer encouragement to those around them.
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22. Crisis Management Plan
Crisis Communication
Crisis Management Plan
Speaking for
the Company
Contacting
Key Executives
Identifying
Media Outlets
Operational
Procedures
Tasks and
Responsibilities
Some of the most critical instances of business communication occur during crises. During a crisis, customers, employees, local communities, and others will demand information. In addition, rumors can spread quickly and uncontrollably.
The key to successful communication efforts during a crisis is having a crisis management plan. In addition to defining operational procedures to deal with the crisis itself, the plan also outlines communication tasks and responsibilities, which can include everything from media contacts to news release templates. The plan should clearly specify which people are authorized to speak for the company, contact information for all key executives, and a list of the media outlets and technologies that will be used to disseminate information. Many companies now go one step further by regularly testing crisis communications in realistic practice drills.
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23. Employment Messages Recommendations Job Applications
Performance Reviews
Terminations
Most managers must convey bad news about individual employees from time to time. Recipients have an emotional stake in your message, so taking an indirect approach is usually advised. In addition, use great care in choosing media for these messages. For instance, and other written forms let you control the message and avoid personal confrontation, but one-on-one conversations are more sensitive and facilitate questions and answers. The following slides will present the most common of these messages: refusing requests for recommendations, rejecting job applications, giving negative performance reviews, and terminating employment.
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24. Recommendation Letters
Requested
by Businesses
Conciseness
Directness
Requested
by Individuals
Diplomacy
Preparation
Even though many states have passed laws to protect employers who provide open and honest job references for former employees, legal hazards persist. That is why many former employers still refuse to write recommendation letters—especially for people whose job performance has been unsatisfactory. When sending refusals to prospective employers, your message may be concise and direct.
Responding to the applicants themselves is another matter. Any refusal to cooperate may seem like a personal slight and a threat to the applicant’s future. Diplomacy and preparation help readers accept your refusal.
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25. Employment Applications
Choose Approach
State Reasons
Offer Alternatives
It is difficult to tell job applicants (tactfully) that you will not be offering them employment. However, do not let this difficulty stop you from communicating the bad news. Rejecting an applicant with silence is unacceptable. At the same time, poorly written rejection messages do have negative consequences, ranging from the loss of qualified candidates for future openings to the loss of potential customers (not only the rejected applicants but also their friends and family). When delivering bad news to job applicants, follow three guidelines:
Open with the direct approach. A recent study by the Journal of Business and Technical Communication shows businesses fare better when they reject applicants up-front. If you try to buffer the bad news that your reader is expecting, you will seem manipulative and insincere.
Clearly state why the applicant was not selected. Make your rejection less personal by stating that you hired someone with more experience or whose qualifications match the position’s requirements more closely.
Close by suggesting alternatives. If you believe the applicant is qualified, mention other openings within your company. You might suggest professional organizations that could help the applicant find employment, or you might simply mention that the applicant’s résumé will be considered for future openings. Any of these positive suggestions may help the applicant to be less disappointed and view your company more positively.
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26. Clarify Job Requirements
Performance Reviews
Organizational
Standards
Values
Improve Performance
Clarify Job Requirements
Provide Feedback
Guide Improvements
Unbiased and
Objective
Problem
Resolution
Few communication tasks require the broad range of skills and strategies that are needed for performance reviews, whether positive or negative. The main purpose of these reviews is to improve employee performance by (1) emphasizing and clarifying job requirements, (2) giving employees feedback on their efforts toward fulfilling those requirements, and (3) guiding continued efforts by developing a plan of action, along with its rewards and opportunities. In addition to improving performance, these reviews help companies set organizational standards and communicate organizational values.
Positive and negative performance reviews share several characteristics: the tone is objective and unbiased, the language is nonjudgmental, and the focus is on problem resolution.
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27. Negative Reviews Confront Problems Plan the Message Respect Privacy
Stay Focused
Gain Commitment
When you need to give a negative performance review, use these guidelines:
Confront the problem right away. Trying to avoid performance problems only makes them worse, and may deny the employee the chance to improve. Furthermore, documentation of problems will be required, if an employee must be terminated.
Plan your message. Be clear about your concerns, and include examples of the employee’s specific actions. Think about any biases you may have, and get feedback from others. Collect and verify all relevant facts.
Deliver the message in private. Whether in writing or in person, be sure to address the performance problem privately. Do not send performance reviews by or fax.
Focus on the problem. Discuss problems caused by the employee’s behavior (without attacking the employee). Compare performance with what is expected, with company goals, or with job requirements. Identify the consequences of continuing poor performance, and show that you are ready to help solve the problem.
Ask for a commitment from the employee. Help the employee understand that planning for improvements and making them are his or her responsibility. However, finalize decisions jointly so that you can be sure any action to be taken is achievable. Set a schedule for improvement and for following up with evaluations of that improvement.
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28. Terminating Employment
Present the Reasons
Avoid Litigious Wording
Minimize Negativity
When writing a termination message, you have three goals: (1) present the reasons for this difficult action, (2) avoid statements that might involve the company in legal action, and (3) leave the relationship between the terminated employee and the firm as favorable as possible. For both legal and personal reasons, present specific justification for asking the employee to leave.
Make sure that all your reasons are accurate and verifiable. Avoid words that are open to interpretation, such as untidy and difficult. Make sure the employee leaves with feelings that are as positive as the circumstances allow. You can do this by telling the truth about the termination and by helping as much as you can to make the employee’s transition as smooth as possible.
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