3. 4 essential goals
1. Acceptance
• Receiver must accept and understand the
bad news
1. Positive
Image
• Ethical behavior

4. Message Clarity
3.
Clear message = no further correspondence
or inquiries
Legal Protection
3.
•
Limit the risks of legal liability
to yourself and the organization

5. Limit the following to avoid liability
1. Abusive
language
- Name calling, defamation, slander, libel
- Harmful to a person’s good name
1. Careless
language
- Damaging or misinterpreted statements

6. 3. Inaccurate language
- Do NOT communicate extra information
- Avoid making promises
- Do NOT accept responsibility because
you feel guilty
- Limit apologies, they are legally liable

8. Detracts the receiver’s attention towards
the good news, omitting the bad
news

9. 
Direct Pattern
• States the bad news first

When to use it
• If firmness and directness are required
• If the receiver may disregard the bad news

10. 
Indirect Pattern
• Most effective in delivering bad news
• Does not state the bad news first
• Opens with a buffer

When to use it
• If sensitivity is required

14. 1.
Apologize and accept responsibility
1.
Explain the steps to remediate the
situation
1.
Promote goodwill: gifts, benefits, rewards
1.
Praise the customer’s business
2.
Insist on reestablishing the relationship

15. 1.
Gather information and practice what
you want to say
1.
Explain the chronology of events
1.
Consider bringing a witness
1.
Select the right time
1.
Let the receiver process the news

16. The Western way of delivering bad
news is not the Universal way!

Preferably refer to the Indirect Pattern

Evaluate the context in which you are
delivering the bad news

Research foreign business
communicating strategies