Delivering Bad News Successfully

         Communication is an important and never ending process. It is important to be aware of whom you will be communicating with and the necessary steps you will have to take to ensure you do not communicate in a way that might offend that person. Resolving conflicts with an individual will require a lot more patience and skills in order to be able to effectively communicate with them. Let’s take a look at an example of how delivering bad news can be accomplished effectively.

I am a department manager for a company that provides technology support services. One of my employees has been with the company for two years. This employee’s job performance is decreasing and I have been getting several complaints from other employees and customers. This employee has also been displaying confrontational behavior that has created a hostile work environment. I must now confront this employee and give them the ultimatum to change their behavior and work ethic or be dismissed from their position at the company.

There are several key things to remember when confronting someone to deliver bad news. One important thing to remember is to “be considerate when you deliver the news. Show that you are sympathetic. This will not only reflect professionalism, but also compassion” (eHow, 2012). I intend to approach this employee immediately. Delaying delivering the news will only make things worse. I plan to have a one-on-one meeting with the employee behind closed doors. I feel this will be more private and the employee will not have to worry about someone over hearing our conversation and being embarrassed or feeling like they are being ridiculed.

I would start off the meeting by discussing the positive contributions the employee has contributed to the company and how these positive effects have had an impact on the success of the company. I feel it is important to include positive things about the employee to show them they are worthy and that not all of their work or what they do is bad. It is also important to let them know that they shouldn’t take anything too personal and that honest feedback will help them improve in their weak areas and allow them to be able to grow and become more successful.

I will be honest with my employee and explain to them how their job performance and behavior is hurting the company. I would let them know they have to change their behavior and attitude or I will have to dismiss them from their position at the company. I anticipate this employee will become very hostile and defensive. No one wants to hear they are not up to par in accomplishing something and I am sure my employee is going to be very upset and hurt. I will listen to my employee’s perspective and hear what they have to say, but I will still stay firm to my ultimatum.

One important thing to remember about conflicts is that they should be resolved in a timely and effective manner. There are different ways a person can deal with handling conflict. I am going to deal with my employee and the issues that need to be resolved by using the collaborating approach. The collaborative approach allows each of us to be able to speak freely and listen to what each other has to say. It also allows us to understand each other’s point of view (studygs, 2012). I feel this approach will be the most beneficial and will help resolve the issues with my employee more effectively.

In conclusion, effectively managing conflict is a big part in communicating with others. In order to deliver bad news to someone it is important to be honest with them and to be considerate of their feelings. It is also important to ensure you are communicating with the individual in a way that they can understand and correctly interpret what you are trying to convey to them. This paper and other useful information about communicating effectively with others can be found on my blog at http://jodiehubbardcom480.blogspot.de/.

References

eHow. (2012). How to Deliver Bad News in a Business Setting. Retrieved on April 29, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2295524_deliver-bad-news-business-setting.html.

Studygs. (2012). Conflict Resolution. Retrieved on April 30, 2012, from http://www.studygs.net/conflres.htm.