Chapter 8

Bad-News
Messages

Bad-news messages
• Plan the bad-news message.
• Compose a message that rejects an idea.
• Compose a message that refuses a favor.
• Compose a message that refuses a claim.
• Compose a bad-news announcement.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|2

Planning the Bad-news

• “The worse the news, the more effort that
should go into communicating it.” Andrew
Grove
• Your purpose is two-fold:
• Say “No”
• Retain the reader’s goodwill

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|3

1
 Prefer the direct plan when
• Writing to superiors
• The bad news involves an insignificant matter
• The reader prefers directness
• The reader expects a “no” response
• The writer wants to emphasize the bad news

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|4

Presenting bad news directly

• Present a brief rationale along with the bad
news.
• Follow with needed explanation.
• End with a friendly, off-the-topic closing.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|5

Prefer the indirect plan when

• Writing to colleagues and subordinates
• Writing to someone outside the organization
• The reader prefers the indirect approach
• You don’t know the reader

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|6

2
 Presenting bad news indirectly
• Begin with a buffer.
• Justify your decision.
• Present the bad news.
• Close on a positive note.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|7

Characteristics of Buffers
• Lessens the impact of the bad news.
• Neutral and relevant statements
• Helps establish or strengthen the reader-writer
relationship
• Provides a transition to the bad news
• Sincere effort to help the reader accept the bad
news.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|8

Types of buffers
• Agreement
I agree with you that full-color visual aids are
more effective and attractive than black-and-
white ones.

• Appreciation
Thanks, Tony, for taking the initiative to
research the feasibility of purchasing a color
printer for our training department.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8|9

3
 Types of buffers
• Compliment
Congratulations, Tony, on the 95 percent
approval rating from our seminar participants.
That’s a first for our department.

• Facts
Last week’s approval of our Westinghouse
proposal will mean a dramatic increase in the
number of technical seminars we’ll sponsor next
year.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 10

Types of buffers
• General principle
I believe in furnishing our trainers with the tools
that they need to fulfill our company’s training
needs.

• Good news
The new Barco projection system that I
approved yesterday will enable us to produce
multimedia training sessions for the first time.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 11

Types of buffers
• Understanding
I want you to know that I support your efforts to
increase the effectiveness of our training
mission.
• Neutral
• Relevant
• Supportive
• Interesting
• Short

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 12

4
 Justifying your Decision

• Major part of bad news message:

REASONS.
• If possible, explain reader benefit, or other
benefits that do not include you.
• You do not want to sound selfish
• Not in your Company’s best interest:
• Provide short explanation
• Business, not personal
• Don’t hide behind company policy, explain
• Present the strongest reason first.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 13

Giving the Bad News

• As you have presented valid reasons:

• Bad news should not come as a surprise
• Decision is logical and reasonable.
• If possible, stress what you can do.
• Avoid these terms: Cannot, are not able to,
impossible, unfortunately, sorry, and must refuse.
• Use impersonal language
• Resist the temptation to apologize for a
reasonable business decision.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 14

Giving the bad news

• To enable us to have the funds needed to
finance our move into multimedia presentations,
we’re delaying all other capital equipment
purchases for six months. These presentations
are projected directly from the computer itself,
thereby avoiding the need to print color
transparencies.
• Subordinated
• Positive
• Impersonal

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 15

5
 Closing on a positive note
• Best wishes
Best wishes, Tony, as you continue your efforts to
strengthen the training mission of our organization.
• Counterproposal
To help ensure the timely printing of your
transparencies, I would be happy to authorize
courier service to and from the print shop until we’re
able to consider this matter further.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 16

Closing on a positive note

• Other sources of help
In the meantime, Marc Dye has indicated that we
can use the Kodak color copier in the marketing
department for making one or two color copies at a
time.
• Resale or subtle sales promotion
Comments that I hear from my colleagues in other
departments reinforce my own belief that the
training department contributes substantially to the
overall success of our firm. Thanks for your help,
Tony.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 17

Rejecting an Idea
• Purpose two-fold: Refuse and maintain
goodwill (especially if the idea came from an
employee.)
• Educate and give reasons why.
• Remember they spent time trying to persuade you about
their idea.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 18

6
 Refusing a Claim
• Indirect is almost always used.
• Don’t wait
• Tone is crucial. Convey respect, sincerity, and
courtesy.
• Use buffer of understanding.
• Impersonal language, and explain
• Is there room for compromise?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 19

Bad-News Announcements
• Audience reaction
• Depending on audience, direct or indirect.
• Organization experiencing problems.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 20

Key term
• buffer

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 | 21