COMMUNICATING BAD NEWS Gary D Greer City Manager
COMMUNICATING BAD NEWS Gary D. Greer City Manager, Farmers Branch, Texas September 24 th, 2009
How I learned to Present Bad News Ø Delivering Bad News Poorly Police Chief and Finance Director Ø Public Works Director Ø Cemetery plot Ø Ø Studied other disciplines to improve skills: Ø Ø Ø Communications Medical Doctors Curriculum Military Polices School Administration guidelines Clergy Mentor Ray Lundy
Thoughts on Bad News Ø Ø Ø Ø Bad news is a fact of life as is good news Not communicating bad news is not an option The grapevine thrives when there is bad news Open and honest communication is essential Deliver the news in a conducive place You can’t plan too much for the delivery of bad news Be sensitive but straight forward
The Norm Method
Steps to giving Bad News Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Study the facts Consider your audience Plan the process Prepare yourself for the event Prepare others involved in the dissemination Rehearse the delivery Carry out the delivery of the news Respond to things that develop Settle down
The Leonard Method
The Art of Delivering Bad News Ø Ø Few people are good at delivering Bad News The people who are good at display the following: Ø Ø Ø Ø Sincerity Humbleness Honesty Straight forwardness Compassion Understanding Competence Adult to Adult communication
The Andy Method
10 Don’ts when presenting Bad News Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Don’t put the bad news between good news Don’t draw it out, just get it over with Don’t be tactless, trivial, or tart Don’t rush and leave no time for questions afterwards Don’t over defend the news (be quiet) Don’t shirk the responsibility on someone else for the news Don’t preach or condemn Don’t forget to understand the audience Don’t be an “avoider” Don’t be overly emotional
How not to present Bad News
NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS, The Presentation is over. . Thank You
- Slides: 11