Avoiding giving bad news
When we avoid giving bad news, James Sheppard, a psychology professor from the University of Florida calls this ‘information avoidance’.
We are exceptionally good at this whole avoidance thing.
- We don’t like delivering bad news. We are worried it will upset the other party and/or us in doing so. It makes sense that we want to keep things ‘peaceful and happy’.
- We don’t know how to say it for it be received as well as possible. This is again a valid reason.
- We stick to what we know. If we believe it won’t matter whether we give the news or not, then we will believe ourselves.
- We value ourselves over others. That is, how we feel matters more than getting back to someone else. Ouch!
5 top tips to make it as easy as possible;
- Preparation is important and doesn’t need to take that much time.
- Ground it in facts and evidence. Give them the detail about why it is a no. You only need 1-2 points to make it valuable feedback.
- Have the courage to be honest but do it without the assassination. If the proposal wasn’t good enough, or you don’t think they are the best cultural fit – tell them why. Let them know so they really understand.
- Avoid the ‘cop out’ response. That is, the one you give everyone. It’s not you, it’s me kinda thing. We read through those and we don’t like them.
- Offer some advice for the future. I hardly ever hear someone saying ‘no thanks’ I don’t want your advice about how I can set myself up or the business for the future.
And above all. Don’t delay! Do it now! I know that makes it 6 tips, but I’m writing this so I can make up the rules.
References
[Why saying no thanks is so hard](http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=61b9f569636d0029c60263a99&id=a1b33b7096&e=807b678eab]
