While it would be great if employees could share a little good news with their boss on a daily basis, there is likely to come at least one day in every worker’s career when it becomes necessary to break some day news to their boss.
It may be that the boss’s idea for a new project isn’t quite as well-thought out as he had envisioned or that a promising negotiation for a new contract is going south. Whatever the unpleasant situation, there are some definite ways of conveying bad news to a boss that can make it a bit easier.
Prepare in Advance to Deliver Bad News
No one likes to be told bad news or to be criticized in public, especially a boss. Even if the bad news is about the boss’s bad idea which pops up in conversation with others or during a large meeting, it is important employees withhold criticism until a more appropriate time.
One way to do this is to volunteer to conduct more research on the topic. By stepping up to assist the boss, an employee may be able to delay implementation of an otherwise disastrous plan. Then it is just a matter of gathering sufficient detail to be able to talk to the boss in a calm and rational manner.
Now is not the time to point fingers or make the boss feel resentful; however, it is important to be prepared emotionally for the confrontation. Personally, employees need to consider their own reaction to and motivation for delivering bad news. Is this an overreaction to an otherwise mild situation? Are they a troublemaker or just the informed messenger?
In addition, it is important to prepare for how the boss might react, so timing is everything. After all, delivering bad news could lead to a scene right out of Alice in Wonderland as the boss yells, “Off with her head!” And keep in mind that once an employee delivers bad news they might forever be cast as a deathly harbinger.
Always Tell a Boss Bad News in Private
Once employees are reconciled to the idea that there is bad news to deliver, it is important to arrange to have a private meeting with the boss. This is definitely the one time that voicemail, email or IMing will not work.
Be honest and upfront with the bad news. Don’t hem and haw, make the boss feel as if she is being set up or drag out the meeting any longer than necessary. Lay out the facts, lay out alternative courses of action, and offer a recommendation and why. Consider this as a collaboration in problem solving.
Don’t down play the bad news or overstate it. Avoid melodrama, unless it is the boss’s. If she has to vent, except that as part of how she deals with bad situations.
The whole idea is that employees need to be fully prepared to have a heart-to-heart and rational discussion of where the problems exist, what went wrong with a particular project or why an idea won’t fly. It’s all about being prepared to tell the boss bad news.
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