Being a leader demands a lot in a person. Most times, it can be quite fulfilling, but there will be moments that will truly test your leadership capabilities and ability to handle certain situations. One of which is delivering bad news.
This can be a very gruesome task for someone who hasn’t dealt with the same predicament before. Doing so requires a lot of caution so not to taint the workplace with a sad and defeated attitude. For further help, here are 3 easy ways to help you get through breaking down the bad news.
Bare out all the facts.
As painful this can be for a lot of people who are trying to save face, telling all the needed facts is a must. There can be times when the problems faced by the group be underestimated and thought of as something that can easily be solved. This is what lack of information can do.
Besides, nothing can be kept secret forever. Once the withheld data gets out to the public, it will not only make a bad impression on the workforce, but to the person in charge as well. So make sure that everyone is oriented substantially for proper action to be done on the situation.
Keep hopes and morale sky high!
Though many consider this as straying away from the actual bad news, it is still very important to keep productivity going in a workplace. This cannot happen when the people have to deal with situations that might not work in their favor. Ways to prevent this attitude is by pacifying pessimism with optimism.
There is no bad news that can’t be overshadowed by a few good ones. Hope can be a very good thing to keep the workforce up and running, especially when they have lost all reason to do so. While very effective, always take note that hope to be given away should always be grounded in reality. Along with this, presenting possible solutions to the problem is also quite necessary. Keep their attention on the future possibilities instead of letting them sulk in bad news.
Some things are better dealt personally.
Firing someone can be one hell of burden for some. This type of task requires care and sensitivity so as not to destroy their self-esteem. Some companies find convenience in firing through e-mails or any of the sort which can really do damage in a person’s self-worth.
So what do you do in times like these? Do it personally. This will show that you have great respect for those who work around you. It has also been proven that those who have been fired in person and given proper reasoning work harder in their next jobs; and those who have survived will better productivity knowing that they are treated with dignity.