Managers must learn to break bad news

Sep 5 2008 By Greig Cameron

Communicating during credit crisis

The credit crunch means the art of straight talking has become more important than ever.

Managers and business owners need to be able to communicate to staff what the implications of the economic slowdown are. Yet many executives are unprepared for delivering clear and accurate information particularly when it may lead to conflict.

In many sectors senior staff are having to share news of zero pay rises, spending clampdowns, reduced or non-existent bonuses and job losses.

Heather Campbell, of communications consultancy Campbell McWilliams, helps blue chip clients across the UK and Ireland get messages across effectively.

She said: "There are a lot of tough messages to get out at the moment. For a long time people have been used to being part of a successful organisation where there's been more good news than bad.

"Although even in good times, managers are notoriously poor at handling difficult messages.

"Fundamentally, people are afraid when they're dealing with the tough stuff.

"They're worried about how the other person will respond. Maybe they'll be shouted at or the other person will argue back - or for many worst of all, cry.

"This in itself means they are likely to say the wrong thing and upset someone even more. As a result, rather than say what they need to, managers either talk around the subject or be too harsh in their approach."

Campbell and her team employ techniques to help those delivering news get the information across in a way which helps build trust and morale.

She said: "When managers have tough messages to get across, whether to individuals or an organisation, too often rather than do that in a straightforward way, they try to put a spin on the message. They end up coming across as insincere.

"People have a sense there is something not genuine but they are not sure what it is and naturally they react badly to that.

"Changing just one or two specific words can transform the impact of the message. It is simple if you follow a few core guidelines.

"We make sure managers know these and apply them in their communications.

"That leaves them with a lifetime skill that will take them through these tough times with more confidence, and into the periods of growth that lie beyond that."

Other common problems include giving too much information in a complicated format and preparing generic messages instead of targeting particular groups.

There is also a need to make sure employees understand what is being said to them. Campbell said: "It is common to measure it and find there is zero recall.

"We set our recall target at 80 per cent and usually we exceed that."

And it is not just the headline announcements which are important to get right. Campbell added: "It's not usually about getting one big message wrong - although that can happen, with disastrous consequences. But more often the damage is done by making little mistakes in our communications every day."