Bearer of Bad News

If you can deliver bad news effectively, it’s a superpower. It can command respect, advance careers, and solidify friendships. Very few people do it well, which is why it’s such an awesome skill when developed and deployed correctly.

Here are the keys:

1. Bad news needs to be blameless. The point of giving the bad news is to get people to change their behavior, not just to bum them out. They’re less likely to change their behavior if they’re on the defensive right away. So keep the bad news to the facts of the present, not who caused the current situation. Don’t lead with, “The bad news is that because Jim botched the sales meeting, our main client is canceling their contract.” Even if it’s true, it isn’t helpful.
2. Always have a preliminary “either/or” solution to suggest. If you’re telling people the building is on fire, then you also want to package it with “Either we do X to put the fire out now, or we do Y to begin the building evacuation.” Remember, you’re trying to avert disaster, not just predict it. If you’re identifying problems just because “someone should do something about it,” remember that the superpower here is being the someone.
3. Treat the bad news as a project to be worked on together. Lead the team. Step up. If you treat it like it won’t be a disaster for you personally, then other people will respond with the same attitude and help solve it. If you treat the bad news like you’re giving it away and then washing your hands of the whole affair, then everyone else will treat the problem like a hot potato and it won’t get solved before it actually is a disaster.
4. Coming to the table with a solution is about being proactive and confident; it doesn’t mean you have to dig your heels in and demand that your specific plan be followed. The table is presumably full of smart people, and this process is about getting those people to engage their talents with you. If it works, then other people will contribute a lot. Thank them!

If you nail those steps, then you won’t just be the messenger who gets the blame for being the one to call out the obvious. You’ll be respected for your ability to solve problems and your candor in approaching them. Most people are very hesitant to do this, for a whole host of reasons. And anything most people won’t do is a gold mine if you will.