The Success Series: How to Tactfully Deliver Bad News (via Email)

How to Tactfully Deliver Bad News (via Email)

While it’s ideal to coast through life without bumps or delays, there will likely be a time in which you’ll have to deliver bad news. In this installment of The Success Series, we tackle how to tactfully deliver bad news via email. Without further delay, let’s dive in.

Be Prepared

When delivering bad news (really any news) it’s best to be prepared. While you may think that this is a great opportunity to “wing it,” you’ll find, in reality, it’s actually difficult, if not impossible. Honestly, even starting out with a template for delivering bad news is a great point to start. Further, it allows you the opportunity to improvies.

Don't Lie or Sugarcoat

Whenever the responsibility for breaking bad news falls on you, it may feel like you should sugarcoat the truth. Despite this feeling, exaggerating the truth often has negative consequences.

Don't Advise on How Anyone Should Feel

Unless you are a therapist and you’re communicating with a patient, you shouldn’t tell people how they should feel. In fact, regularly telling someone to, “look on the bright side” can actually have a negative effect. In other words, try to exercise caution when providing words of encouragement – not everyone reacts the same way.

Be Honest and Informative

Next, being honest and informative can go a long way. When providing details about the incident, consider including applicable resources – like a phone number for HR- to help them. As a result, employees will have a greater feeling of trust and security.

Consult with an Expert

Lastly, if you’ve prepared your email and you’re still nervous about hitting send, consider consulting with someone. For instance, reaching out to another professional in your field for a once-over may help. Perhaps this “professional” is an HR representative. In any case, even talking through it with someone else can provide benefits.

Free Email Templates

Illness

Death

Regarding Business

Illness

[name],

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell you this, but my partner [name] has been diagnosed with cancer and the outlook doesn’t look good.

If you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them. Additionally, I apologize in advance if I don’t respond as quickly when you reach out. Obviously, with this news we will be quite busy in the coming weeks.

Lastly, please do not share this information with the rest of the [family/team], as I have separate plans for handling that.

Thanks,
[name]

Death

Regarding Business

In Conclusion

Whenever something goes off-kilter and the outcome isn’t great – the delivery can influence the events that transpire. Ideally, you won’t be in a position to deliver bad news, but it’s better to be prepared than caught off guard. Do you have other tips for delivering bad news? Let us know in the comments below.