Breaking the Bad News

I’ve known some great leaders in my career. Although each one was very different, they all had one thing in common. They all knew how to say, “No.” Some enjoyed saying “no” more than others, but to a person, each one put a lot of thought and care into the answer…before it was delivered. I didn’t always agree, but I did always feel that the answer wasn’t formed casually.

The greatest lesson I learned from them was how to say “no” when saying “yes” remained a real possibility; to be the bearer of bad news when it was absolutely necessary, but not always for obvious reasons. Such was the case with year-end salary increases and bonus, and the lack of them in tough times. If you have to deliver the bad news this year, consider these ten practical, sensible guidelines for the delivery of your message.