Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Recently I had to deliver some bad news that I knew would not be received all that well. This Top 10 Tips for Delivering Bad News comic and blog post from the past helped. Do you have any other tips and techniques to add...? Saving Changes...
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Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Nice post and thanks for sharing Mark. Here are a few more to make it 13.
Tip #11 Don't email
Tip #12 Don't finger-point
Tip #13 Don't delegate Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Wai Mun, excellent. I especially like your #12....! Saving Changes...
Sam MotesManager II Business Sys, Operational Excellence| BA Systems Inc.Ellenton, Fl, United States
Great list Mark and Wai Mun's 3 additional ones are great as well. I agree strongly with the point Wai Mun made about avoiding email for first contact when delivering bad news, but I would arguee that a follow up email confirming what was discussed to ensure agreement on key points can be a very powerful tool. I also strongly believe in the asking forgiveness rather than permission one. You are in a leadership role and your manager should be looking to you for initiative and execution. If you have a truly micro-managing boss who demands you clear everything with them first than you have to focus on building credibility quickly and coming to grips with taking ownership of the situation. Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Sam,
You are right. I was referring to the first contact in Tip #11. Sometimes, people may think that they can avoid the awkward moment and embarrassment by sending out the bad news through email. This just simply will not work; the resentment from the ground will sweep back in a larger wave. Saving Changes...
Tip #14 Deliver it early and often. Bosses don't like to be blindsided
Tip #15 Ownership and Accountability are Key. Provide mitigation strategies and recommendations.
Tip#16 Provide an action plan and follow up loop. Keep your boss and stakeholders informed. Issue and risk logs are great tools to track and demonstrate accountability.
Saving Changes...
Some great tips there- I’ll add one more; tailor your approach and base it on what the outcome of that news may be. My thoughts around bad news are that it depends on who you are telling- if it is telling a team member about an issue resulting from a performance problem then read up on constructive criticism techniques, but that won’t help you if it’s your sponsor who you are telling about a major budget overrun you just stumbled upon (when Naomi’s approach of tips 15 & 16 are great). A further approach is needed if you are telling some bad news to an external supplier as you need to check out the contract situation very carefully, you don’t want to be having to have to give your sponsor the news that you cancelled a supplier, but now they are suing… Saving Changes...
