BCOMM Chapter 11 Bad-News Messages

Guidelines for Bad-News Messages

- Deliver the bad news in a timely manner. - Choose the right mix of channels. - Sympathize with the bad-news recipients and soften the blow. - Provide a simple, clear rationale. - Explain immediate impacts. - Focus on solutions and long-term benefits. - Show goodwill.

Which of the following questions should you ask when applying the FAIR test?

-How accessible or transparent are my motives and reasoning? -How factual is my communication? -How does my communication impact stakeholders?

Which of the following are true about discussing the short-term effects of bad news? (Choose every correct answer.)

-It is important to discuss what the bad news means to recipients, instead of minimizing it. -Skipping a discussion of the negative impact on the recipients will make them see you as detached from their needs.

Which of the following are common types of buffers for bad-news messages?

-appreciation -giving a compliment -a neutral statement

When delivering bad news, it is important to

be honest and open.

Which of the following statements are true about bad-news messages?

-They can be delivered through different appropriate channels. -They should show goodwill toward the recipients. -They should be delivered promptly.

Which of the following are ways in which you can make the situation better for recipients of bad news?

-Understand how the news affects recipients. -Deliver the news in a timely manner. -Use the right mix of communication channels.

How can people boost their credibility when delivering bad news?

-bear responsibility for their own role in the situation -tell the truth in difficult situations -try to lessen the negative impact on others who are involved

Important aspects of delivering bad news include

-delivering it in such a way that it shows goodwill toward the recipient. -striving to avoid burning bridges with the recipient. -leaving open the possibility of working with the recipient in the future.

When making decisions concerning bad news, you should

-evaluate your own emotions. -remove defensiveness and favoritism from your judgment. -collect information from different sources.

Rereading bad-news messages several times before sending them

-helps you try to see the message from the perspective of the recipients. -can allow you to remove emotionally charged words and soften the tone. -can prevent time being wasted due to misunderstandings.

The failure to share bad news within an organization

-leads to lower morale within the organization. -gives top-level officials the impression that things are more positive than they actually are. -sometimes happens because employees don't want to be blamed when things go wrong.

Face-to-face performance reviews

-tend to be more stressful when they are negative. -are a regular occurrence for most professionals. -are stressful for both managers and employees.

You should review bad-news messages

-to make sure you are being respectful. -before the bad news is sent. -because recipients may misinterpret the news.

Applying the AIM Planning Process for Bad-News Messages

Planning is critical to delivering bad news in a way that serves all parties involved and leaves the door open for productive cooperation in the future. -Plan: Audience, Information, Message

True or false: For most bad-news messages, the rationale for the bad news is given first.

True

One important consideration when delivering bad news to customers is to

avoid placing the blame for the situation on them.

The statement designed specifically to soften the blow at the beginning of a bad-news message is known as a

buffer.

During a performance review, sandwiching bad news between good news

can give the false impression that underperformance is acceptable.

When giving a negative performance review of an employee, you should

comment only on things that you have observed, not thoughts and feelings.

How much the recipient can affect the outcome of bad news is called

controllability.

True or false: Even if the bad news you deliver is of a temporary nature, you should focus on the reasons for the bad news and discuss solutions later.

false

Seeking performance feedback at work

helps you develop skills to move ahead.

The most effective way to deliver bad news with medium to high severity to a long-time business partner or client would be to communicate

in person.

Severity

is how serious or detrimental the bad news is.

Research indicates that when banks told customers why they reached bad-news decisions,

it increased the trust that customers felt toward the banks.

When reviewing a poor performer, you should

make sure the person understands the need for improvement.

Which of the following would be the least-effective way to follow up a negative performance review of an employee?

painting a broad picture of what is expected from the employee

In a bad-news message, a buffer

should appear at the beginning of a message.

To express sympathy for people who are receiving bad news, you should

show genuine concern and appreciation.

One major difference between direct and indirect bad-news messages is that

the order of delivering the news and providing a rationale are switched.

In a business situation, after delivering bad news and explaining why things turned out this way, you should

discuss what this development means for the recipients.

In direct bad-news messages,

the bad news is delivered, then a rationale is provided.

When discussing bad news,

the delivery of the message can be more important than the content.

Buffer

is a statement to establish common ground, show appreciation, state your sympathy, or otherwise express goodwill.

Token Appreciation

is an expression of thanks or gratitude for a request or idea while immediately dismissing the request or idea as implausible or even inappropriate.

Controllability

is the degree to which the bad-news message receiver can alter the outcome.

Delivering bad news with the feelings of the recipient in mind involves

-stating the bad news quickly. -explaining why the decision was made. -keeping any buffer statement short.

Which are suggested approaches when delivering bad news? (Choose every correct answer.)

-suggest solutions that the recipient can control -take a positive tone as you discuss solutions -discuss steps that can be taken to overcome the current situation

Teaser Message

this is a form of a buffer when delivering bad news.

Which of the following is a recommended guideline for delivering bad news?

Get to the bad news fairly quickly.

Face-to-face performance reviews

are often intensely stressful for managers

True or false: Reviewing bad-news messages is important only for written bad-news messages.

False

One important aspect of delivering bad-news messages is to

give the news without waiting too long.

Some advantages of delivering bad news in person include the ability to do which three of the following?

-respond quickly to recipients' uneasiness -get instant feedback from recipients -use nonverbal cues to show that you care

Bad-news messages

require more of an effort to serve others than other message types.

Components of Direct Bad-News Messages

*Ease in with a buffer *Deliver the bad news *Provide a rationale *Explain Impacts *Focus on the future (as appropriate) *Show goodwill

Why is it important to gather facts from a variety of sources so you can make fair, objective decisions before delivering bad news?

-Since the consequences of the bad news might be severe, you should be sure of the facts and possible solutions. -Your initial interpretation of the situation might not be the only valid way to look at it. -Although the situation might be upsetting, usually the solution should not be based on emotion.

When important decisions must be made, but there is not yet much information available,

-leaders lose credibility if people think they are withholding information. -people frequently assume the worst. -people tend to spread rumors about what is happening.

Which of the following best explains why you should control your emotions when receiving a negative performance review?

Negative emotions can lead to counterproductive responses.

Likelihood

relates to the probability of the bad event occurring.

The filtering of bad news at each level of an organization is known as

the mum effect.

To soften the blow of bad news in written communications. you could use

-a neutral subject line for the message. -a buffer statement.

Considering how bad news affects others is one application of the

FAIR test.

Components of Indirect Bad-News Messages

*Ease in with a buffer *Provide a rationale *Deliver the bad news *Explain impacts *Focus on the future (as appropriate) *Show goodwill

Which of the following were findings from research on the delivery of bad news in the financial industry?

-Complete explanations drastically increased customers' trust in the bank. -Customers suspect banks that use vague language. -Clear, specific language promotes trust.

What are some of the drawbacks to delivering bad news in writing?

-If the recipient misunderstands the message, you cannot explain immediately. -It might seem callous or impersonal.

Which of the following considerations in timing the delivery of bad news are true?

-If you deliver bad news without knowing the details, you can create unnecessary worry. -You can lose credibility if others think you have wrongfully waited to deliver bad news.

Why should you give feedback only on observable behaviors during a performance review?

-If you focus on attitudes, you will seem judgmental. -The employee is less likely to become defensive. -You can never be sure that you know someone's thoughts and feelings.

Which of the following are recommended practices for written bad-news communications to customers?

-Include the same basic elements as other bad-news messages. -Point out alternatives the customer can control.

Which of the following are good strategies to use when delivering negative performance reviews?

-Investigate reasons for the person's inadequate work. -Explain that the employee's underperformance affects the organization. -Mention that poor performance limits the person's opportunities at the company.

Which of the following statements about performance feedback are true?

-It can be counterproductive if you react to it improperly. -It helps you improve your skills. -It is important, even if it is negative.

Which of the following are accurate statements about the sandwich approach in performance reviews?

-It is less effective for employee improvement than emphasizing the bad news. -It occurs when a manager compliments an employee, then gives negative feedback followed by positive comments. -It sometimes promotes the continuation of poor performance.

What are some differences between evaluating excellent performers and evaluating poor performers?

-Poor performers should be told that they must improve. -The message for excellent performers should be generally positive.

Which three of the following should be done when giving a negative performance review?

-Seek solutions that emphasize optimism for the employee's future with the company. -Ask the employee why the performance is not better. -Explain how poor individual performance affects the organization.

Accepting negative feedback from performance reviews

-may involve feelings of fear or anger. -requires recognizing and naming negative emotions. -requires a great deal of emotional intelligence.

When is it is usually acceptable to provide written notice of bad news to external partners? (Choose every correct answer.)

-When your audience prefers corresponding in written form -If you are replying to a written request -When the bad news is not severe

Which of the following are appropriate for an effective delivery in person of bad news to a client?

-a buffer to let the person get ready emotionally to hear the news -an explanation of how the news will immediately affect the person's situation -a rationale followed by the bad news

During the delivery of bad news,

-a positive tone can make people feel positive about receiving negative feedback. -a negative tone can make people feel negative about receiving positive feedback. -it is important to notice the recipient's nonverbal behavior.

What three aspects of bad news should you consider when deciding how to deliver the message?

-controllability -likelihood -severity

Why should a manager establish measurable performance goals for employees?

Goals give the employee an objective way of meeting expectations.

Why might you write a bad-news message and then wait to read it again a few days later before sending the message?

Strong emotions from your having just learned about the bad news may have influenced the tone you used when writing the message.

Deliver Negative Feedback

When evaluating poor performers, however, you should be clear about the need for improvement. -Adopt a team-centered orientation. -Avoid sugarcoating the bad news. -Explain the impacts of the individual's poor performance on organizational performance. -Link to consequences. -Probe for reasons performance is not higher. -Emphasize problem-solving rather than blaming. -Be firm.

Which of the following would be a good example of a buffer in a bad-news message?

a neutral statement in the subject line of an email

It makes sense to provide bad news in writing to someone when you

are replying to a written request.

When delivering most bad-news messages, you should

ease into the bad news to give the recipient time to adjust to the shock.

When laying off an employee or turning down a customer claim or a supplier, you should

leave open the possibility of working with the person in the future.

Mum Effect

occurs when the chain of messages within an organization is filtered at each level to leave out or inaccurately state the bad news.