Chapter 11 Indirect Approach For Negative Messages Example

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Chapter 11: Writing Negative Messages

This chapter continues the discussion of brief message types with a look at negative (“bad-news”)

messages. Students will get practice with both the direct and indirect approaches in a variety of specific

message scenarios. A particular point of emphasis in this chapter is helping students understand that

negative messages don’t have to be—and in fact should not be—delivered in a negative way. By

maintaining a focus on ethics, etiquette, and audience needs, bad news can be delivered in ways that are

sensitive and professional while still being effective.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Negatives Messages

Step 1: Planning a Negative Message

Step 2: Writing a Negative Message

Step 3: Completing a Negative Message

Using the Direct Approach for Negative Messages

Opening with a Clear Statement of the Bad News

Providing Reasons and Additional Information

Closing on a Respectful Note

Using the Indirect Approach for Negative Messages

Opening with a Buffer

Providing Reasons and Additional Information

Continuing with a Clear Statement of the Bad News

Closing on a Respectful Note

Maintaining High Standards of Ethics and Etiquette

Sending Negative Messages on Routine Business Matters

Making Negative Announcements on Routine Business Matters

Rejecting Suggestions and Proposals

Refusing Routine Requests

Handling Bad News About Transactions

Refusing Claims and Requests for Adjustment

Sending Negative Organizational News

Communicating Under Normal Circumstances

Responding to Negative Information in a Social Media Environment

Communicating in a Crisis

Sending Negative Employment Messages

Refusing Requests for Employee References and Recommendation Letters

Refusing Social Networking Recommendation Requests

Rejecting Job Applications

Giving Negative Performance Reviews

Terminating Employment

Learning Catalytics is a “bring your own device” student engagement, assessment, and classroom

intelligence system. It allows instructors to engage students in class with real-time diagnostics. Students

can use any modern, web-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) to access it. For more

information on using Learning Catalytics in your course, contact your Pearson Representative.

LECTURE NOTES

Section 1: Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Negatives Messages

Learning Objective 1: Apply the three-step writing process to negative messages.

Sharing unexpected and unwelcome news with audiences that have a lot riding on the information

requires careful planning and execution. Communicating negative information is unavoidable for business

professionals, whether it’s saying no to a request, sharing unpleasant or unwelcome information, or

issuing a public apology.

Depending on the situation, there are as many as five distinct goals in conveying negative information:

Convey the bad news.

Gain acceptance for the bad news.

Maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience.

Maintain a good image for your organization.

Reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter.

Step 1: Planning a Negative Message

In order to minimize any possible damage to business relationships and to encourage the acceptance

of your message, carefully consider the context in which the reader will receive the message.

Develop a clear purpose and identify the audience’s needs.

Negative messages can be intensely personal to the recipient, and in many cases, recipients have a

right to expect a thorough explanation of news given.

Selecting the right combination of medium and channel is critical:

Bad news for employees should be delivered in person whenever possible, to guard privacy,

demonstrate respect, and give them an opportunity to ask questions.

There are times, however, when this is not feasible so important negative information through

written or digital media becomes necessary.

One of the most critical planning decisions is choosing whether to use the direct or indirect approach.

A negative message using the direct approach:

Opens with the bad news

Proceeds to the reasons for the situation or the decision

Ends on a respectful note with care taken to maintain a good relationship with the audience

In contrast, the indirect approach opens with the reasons behind the bad news before presenting the

bad news itself.

To help determine the best approach for a negative message, consider these questions:

Will the bad news come as a shock? Use the direct approach if the audience anticipates the

possibility of receiving bad news. However, if the bad news might come as a shock to

readers, use the indirect approach to help them prepare for it.

Does the reader prefer short messages that get right to the point? If so, use the direct

approach.

How important is this news to the reader? For minor or routine scenarios, the direct approach

is nearly always best. However, if the reader has an emotional investment in the situation, the

indirect approach is often better.

Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader? The indirect approach

will soften the blow of bad news and preserve a positive business relationship.

Do you need to get the reader’s attention? If someone has ignored repeated messages, the

direct approach will get their attention.

What is your organization’s preferred style? Consider the tone preferred by the company and

use that as a framework.

Class discussion question: How do you feel when someone delivers bad news to you in a way

that is disrespectful, confusing, vague, timid, or deceitful? How does this compare to getting

bad news from someone who treats you with respect and communicates in clear,

straightforward way?

Step 2: Writing a Negative Message

When preparing a negative message, pay close attention to effectiveness, sensitivity, and diplomacy.

Cultural and organizational differences that may play a role in how the reader interprets the message.

Negative messages to outside audiences require attention to the diverse nature of the audience and the

concern for confidentiality of internal information.

If the writer lacks credibility, the audience is more likely to challenge or reject the message.

When using language that conveys respect and avoids an accusing tone, the audience will likely have

a more positive attitude and be more receptive.

Using positive words rather than negative words can ease the sense of disappointment the audience

may otherwise feel.

Step 3: Completing a Negative Message

Pay careful attention to details in completing a negative message.

Make sure the content is clear, complete, and concise—even small flaws are magnified as readers

react to negative news.

Produce clean, professional documents and proofread carefully to eliminate mistakes.

Deliver negative messages promptly and successfully. Delaying the delivery of negative news can be

a serious breach of etiquette.

Section 2: Using the Direct Approach for Negative Messages

Learning Objective 2: Explain how to use the direct approach effectively when conveying negative news.

The direct approach with negative messages has two advantages:

It makes a shorter message possible.

It allows the audience to reach the main idea of the message in less time.

Opening with a Clear Statement of the Bad News

No matter what the news is, come right out and say it.

Maintain a calm, professional tone that keeps the focus on the news and not on personal factors.

Providing Reasons and Additional Information

Follow the direct opening with an explanation of why the news is negative. The extent of the

explanation depends on the nature of the news and the relationship with the reader.

If, for some reason, an explanation isn’t possible (perhaps due to confidentiality reasons), explain to

the audience why you can’t provide the information, if appropriate.

Should you apologize or not? In the event of bad news, the best general advice is to immediately and

sincerely express sympathy and offer help, if appropriate, without admitting guilt, although this

should be evaluated case by case.

Creating an effective apology involves four key decisions:

The apology should be delivered by someone whose position in the organization corresponds

with the gravity of the situation.

The apology needs to be a real apology. Don’t say “I’m sorry if anyone was offended.” The

conditional if implies that you’re not sorry at all and it’s the other party’s fault for being

offended.

Apologies need to be delivered quickly, particularly in the social media age. A fast response

makes the message more meaningful to the affected parties, and it helps the company

maintain some control over the story, rather than reacting to social media outrage.

Media and channel choices are crucial; the right choice can range from a private conversation

to a written message posted or distributed online to a public press conference.

Note that you can express sympathy with someone’s plight and demonstrate sensitivity, without

accepting blame.

Class discussion question: Have you ever had difficulty accepting an apology from an individual or

organization? If so, why? Did you question whether the other party was truly sorry or perhaps was

apologizing only to deflect attention from a mistake? What can you learn from this that you can apply to

your communication efforts when you need to make an apology on the job?

Closing on a Respectful Note

After delivering negative news, close the message in a manner that respects the impact the negative

news is likely to have on the recipient:

Look for opportunities to include positive statements, but avoid creating false hopes; don’t

suggest that something negative didn’t just happen.

Ending on a false positive can leave readers feeling disrespected, disregarded, or deceived.

An important aspect of a respectful close is describing the actions being taken to avoid similar

mistakes in the future.

Section 3: Using the Indirect Approach for Negative Messages

Learning Objective 3: Explain how to use the indirect approach effectively when conveying negative

news.

The indirect approach helps readers prepare for the bad news by presenting the reasons for it first:

However, the indirect approach is not meant to obscure bad news, delay it, or limit responsibility.

The purpose of this approach is to ease the blow and help readers accept the situation.

Opening with a Buffer

Messages using the indirect approach open with a buffer, a neutral, noncontroversial statement that:

Establishes common ground with the reader

Validates the concerns that prompted the original request (if relevant)

The buffer must be honest and sincere:

Do not use a buffer as a means to avoid the negative news to come or to suggest a positive

outcome for the reader.

Make sure it provides a smooth transition to the reasons that follow.

Providing Reasons and Additional Information

An ideal explanation section leads readers to the conclusion before they actually get there, so that the

negative news doesn’t come as a shock.

Give reasons effectively by maintaining the focus on the issues at hand and defusing the emotions

that generally accompany significantly bad news.

When providing reasons, start with the most positive points and move forward to increasingly

negative points. Be concise, but provide enough detail for the audience to understand the reasons.

Even valid, well-thought-out reasons won’t convince every reader in every situation. However, if a

good amount of planning and preparation have been done, you’ve done everything possible to prepare

the reader for the main idea, which is the negative news itself.

Messages that contain successful reasoning are:

As detailed as the situation demands

Tactful

Individualized, if possible

Unapologetic, if no one is at fault

Always respectful and positive when appropriate

Continuing with a Clear Statement of the Bad News

After the reasoning has been thoughtfully and logically established, readers are prepared to receive

the bad news.

State the negative news clearly and then make a smooth transition to any positive news that might

balance the story.

Use three techniques to convey the negative information as clearly and as kindly as possible.

First, deemphasize the bad news:

Minimize the space or time devoted to the bad news—without trivializing it or withholding

any important information.

Present bad news in the middle of the sentence, the point of least emphasis.

Embed bad news in the middle of a paragraph, if possible.

Second, if appropriate, use a conditional (if or when) statement to imply that the audience could have

received, or might someday receive, a favorable answer. However, you must avoid any suggestion

that you might reverse the decision if this isn’t true.

Third, emphasize what you can do or have done rather than what you cannot do. By focusing on the

facts, you make the impact less personal. Withholding negative information or overemphasizing

positive information is unethical and unfair to your readers.

Be sure to avoid overly blunt statements that are likely to cause pain and anger.

Closing on a Respectful Note

The close in the indirect approach offers an opportunity to emphasize your respect for your audience,

even though you’ve just delivered unpleasant news. Express best wishes without being falsely upbeat.

The conclusion should follow these guidelines:

Avoid a negative or uncertain conclusion. Don’t belabor the bad news.

Manage future correspondence. Encourage additional communication only if you’re willing

to discuss the situation further.

Be optimistic about the future, as appropriate. Don’t anticipate problems that haven’t

occurred yet.

Be sincere. Steer clear of clichés that are insincere in view of the bad news.

Keep in mind that the close is the last thing audience members have to remember you by. Even

though they’re disappointed, leave them with the impression that they were treated with respect.

Section 4: Maintaining High Standards of Ethics and Etiquette

Learning Objective 4: Explain the importance of maintaining high standards of ethics and etiquette when

delivering negative messages.

All business messages demand attention to ethics and etiquette, of course, but these considerations take

on special importance when you are delivering bad news—for several reasons:

First, a variety of laws and regulations dictate the content and delivery of many business

messages with potentially negative content, such as the release of financial information by a

public company.

Second, negative messages can have a significant negative impact on the lives of those receiving

them. Even if the news is conveyed legally and conscientiously, good ethical practice demands

that these situations be approached with care and sensitivity.

Third, emotions often run high when negative messages are involved, for both the sender and the

receiver. Senders need to manage their own emotions and consider the emotional state of their

audiences.

The challenge of sending—and receiving—negative messages can tempt writers to delay, downplay, or

distort the bad news. However, you have an ethical obligation—and often a legal obligation—to share bad

news as soon as possible.

Effectively sharing bad news within an organization requires commitment from everyone involved:

Employees must commit to sending negative messages when necessary and to doing so in a

timely fashion.

Employees who observe unethical or illegal behavior within their companies and are unable to

resolve the problems through normal channels may have no choice but to resort to

whistleblowing.

Some companies have internal ethics hotlines specifically for this need.

If they have no other options, employees may be forced to express their concerns externally

through social media or the news media.

Whistleblowing can be a vital communication channel because it exposes unethical or illegal

behavior and gives managers information they need to correct mistakes.

However, it can be a risky move for employees to take.

Section 5: Sending Negative Messages on Routine Business Matters

Learning Objective 5: Describe successful strategies for sending negative messages on routine business

matters.

Professionals and companies receive a wide variety of requests and proposals and cannot respond

positively to every single one.

Occasionally, companies must send negative messages to suppliers and other parties. Managers must

sometimes reject ideas from their employees.

Whatever the purpose, crafting routine negative responses and messages quickly and graciously is an

important skill for every businessperson.

Making Negative Announcements on Routine Business Matters

Many negative messages are written in response to requests from an internal or external party, but on

occasion managers need to make unexpected announcements of a negative nature.

Although such announcements happen in the normal course of business, they are generally

unexpected and the indirect approach is usually the better choice. Follow the steps outlined for

indirect messages:

Open with a buffer that establishes some mutual ground with the reader.

Advance your reasoning and announce the change.

Close with as much positive information and sentiment as appropriate under the

circumstances.

Rejecting Suggestions and Proposals

Companies frequently receive a variety of suggestions and proposals, both solicited and unsolicited.

For an unsolicited proposal from an external source, a response may not be required if there isn’t

already a working relationship with the sender. However, if rejecting a solicited proposal, the sender

deserves an explanation, and because the news will be unexpected, the direct approach is better.

Refusing Routine Requests

When unable to meet a request, the primary communication challenge is to give a clear negative

response without generating negative feelings or damaging the relationship.

The direct approach works best for most routine negative responses. The audience receives the

response quickly and the sender can quickly move on to other business.

The indirect approach works best when the stakes are high, when there’s an established relationship

with the customer making the request, or when declining a request that the customer had expected a

positive response to.

Consider the following points when developing routine negative messages:

Manage your time carefully; focus on the most important relationships and requests.

If the matter is closed, don’t imply that it’s still open for discussion.

Offer alternative ideas if possible, particularly if the relationship is important.

Don’t imply that other assistance or information might be available if it isn’t.

Handling Bad News about Transactions

Bad news about transactions is always unwelcome and usually unexpected. When sending such

messages, there are three goals:

Modify the customer’s expectations.

Explain how you plan to resolve the situation.

Repair whatever damage might have been done to the business relationship.

Some negative messages regarding transactions carry significant financial and legal ramifications:

If no promises have been made to the customer, the message simply needs to inform the

customer of the situation, with little or no emphasis on apologies.

If promises have been made, attempt to reset those expectations and explain how the problem

will be resolved; an apology would be a part of this message. The scope of the apology

depends on the magnitude of the mistake.

To help repair damage to a relationship and encourage repeat business, many companies offer some

sort of unexpected benefit to the customer as a way to rebuild the customer’s confidence.

Refusing Claims and Requests for Adjustment

Customers who make a claim or request an adjustment tend to be emotionally involved. Therefore,

use the indirect approach.

To avoid accepting responsibility for the unfortunate situation (and avoid blaming the customer), pay

special attention to the tone of the letter.

A tactful and courteous message can build goodwill even while denying the claim.

When refusing a claim, avoid language that might have a negative impact on the reader and explain

why the request is being refused.

Control emotions and approach the situation as calmly as possible to avoid saying or writing anything

that the recipient might interpret as defamation.

To avoid being accused of defamation, follow these guidelines:

Refrain from using any kind of abusive language or terms that could be considered

defamatory.

Provide accurate information and stick to the facts.

Never let anger or malice motivate messages.

Consult your company’s legal advisers whenever you think a message might have legal

consequences.

Communicate honestly.

Emphasize a desire for a good relationship in the future.

Keep in mind that nothing positive can come out of antagonizing a customer, even one who is

verbally abusive. Reject the claim or request for adjustment in a professional manner and move on to

the next challenge.

End the message on a respectful note.

Section 6: Sending Negative Organizational News

Learning Objective 6: List the important points to consider when conveying negative organizational

news.

From time to time, managers must share, and respond to, negative information with the public at large.

Most of these situations have unique challenges that must be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but the

general advice offered below applies to all of them.

One key difference among all these messages is whether there is a plan for the announcement.

Communicating Under Normal Circumstances

Businesses must frequently convey a range of negative messages regarding their ongoing operations.

In preparing those messages, take extra care to consider the audience and their unique needs.

When making negative announcements, follow these guidelines:

Match your approach to the situation. Use the direct approach if the negative announcement

is relatively inconsequential to the audience. However, if the stakes are high for the audience,

build up to the news with the indirect approach.

Consider the unique needs of each group. Various people have different information needs.

Give each audience enough time to react as needed. Let customers know in advance of any

major changes that may affect their way of doing business.

Allow enough time to plan and manage a response. Complaints, questions, or product returns

are likely after a negative announcement; be ready with answers and additional follow-up

information.

Look for positive angles but don’t exude false optimism. If there’s a positive angle, promote

it. On the other hand, if it’s a traumatic event that can affect employees, their families, and

their communities for years, don’t sidestep the issues.

Many significant negative announcements have important technical, financial, or legal

elements that require the expertise of lawyers, accountants, or other specialists. Seek expert

advice if you need it.

Negative situations will test the skills of any communicator or leader. Inspirational leaders try to seize

such opportunities as a chance to reshape or reinvigorate the organization.

Responding to Negative Information in a Social Media Environment

For all the benefits they bring to business, social media and other communication technologies have

created a major new challenge: responding to online rumors, false information, and attacks on a

company’s reputation.

Customers now have tremendous leverage via social media. False rumors and unfair attacks can

quickly overwhelm a company.

These four steps will help a company manage its reputation in this new environment:

Engage early and engage often; you should be in regular contact with your stakeholders

before a crisis hits.

Monitor the online conversations that take place about your company and its products.

Evaluate negative messages.

Respond appropriately to each message; be careful that your response doesn’t make a volatile

situation worse.

Class discussion question: Should a company ever counterattack when its reputation is being challenged

online? For example, should a company try to undermine the credibility of people who are complaining

about it in social media? Why or why not?

Communicating in a Crisis

Some of the most critical instances of business communication occur during crises:

Customers, employees, local communities, and others will demand information.

Rumors can spread unpredictably and uncontrollably.

Although these events cannot be predicted, companies can prepare in advance.

Companies that respond quickly with information tend to fare much better in the long run than those

that go into hiding or release inconsistent or incorrect information.

The key to successful communication efforts during a crisis is having a crisis management plan. In

addition to defining operational procedures to deal with the crisis, this plan:

Outlines communication tasks and responsibilities, including media contacts to news releases

Clearly specifies which people are authorized to speak for the company

Provides contact information for all key executives

Includes a list of the news outlets and social media tools that will be used to disseminate

information

Section 7: Sending Negative Employment Messages

Learning Objective 7: Describe successful strategies for sending negative employment related messages.

Most managers must convey bad news about, or to, individual employees from time to time.

Recipients have an emotional stake in these messages, so taking the indirect approach is usually advised.

In addition, choosing the appropriate media for these messages is of key importance.

Refusing Requests for Employee References and Recommendation Letters

When sending refusals to prospective employers who have requested information about past

employees, the message can be brief and direct. This message simply gives the reader all the

information that is allowable by company policy.

Refusing an applicant’s direct request for a recommendation letter is quite another matter.

Any refusal to cooperate may seem to be a personal slight and a threat to the applicant’s future.

Diplomacy and preparation help readers accept a refusal.

A sound course of action is to make positive comments about the reader’s recent activities, imply a

refusal to provide a recommendation, suggest an alternative, and use a polite close.

Refusing Social Networking Recommendation Requests

Recommendations are trickier to address in a social networking environment than in a traditional

networking environment because the recommendations you make become part of your online profile.

Networks also make it easier to find people and request recommendations, so you may get hit with a

lot of requests for recommendations for requests as your network expands.

Fortunately, social networks allow more flexibility when it comes to responding to these requests:

They can simply be ignored or deleted; some people make it personal policy to ignore

requests from networkers they don’t know. Whether to meet the request is a personal decision

and depends upon the relationship with the sender.

Another option is to refrain from making recommendations and let people know this policy

when they ask.

If choosing to make recommendations, write as much or as little information about the person

as is comfortable. This flexibility allows positive responses if there are mixed feelings about a

person’s overall abilities.

Rejecting Job Applications

Application rejection messages are routine communications, but they can be challenging, for three

reasons:

Saying no is never easy.

Recipients are emotionally invested in the decision.

Companies must take care to avoid prompting employment discrimination lawsuits.

The safest strategy is to avoid sharing any explanations for the company’s decision and to avoid

making or implying any promises of future consideration. The following strategies will help in

keeping this type of message on track and effective:

Personalize the message by using the recipient’s name.

Open with a courteous expression of appreciation for having applied.

Convey the negative news politely and concisely.

Avoid explaining why an applicant was rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead.

Don’t state or imply that the application will be reviewed at a later date.

Close with positive wishes for the applicant’s career success.

Giving Negative Performance Reviews

The main purpose of a performance review is to improve employee performance by:

Emphasizing and clarifying job requirements

Giving employees feedback on their efforts toward fulfilling those requirements

Guiding continued efforts by developing a plan of action, which includes rewards and

opportunities

Performance reviews help companies set standards and communicate organizational values.

Documentation of performance problems can also protect a company from being sued for unlawful

termination.

Annual reviews often are a stressful occurrence for managers and workers alike. Information

provided should not come as a surprise to the employee. Giving employees clear goals and regular

feedback can help avoid unpleasant surprises.

Some companies have dropped annual reviews in favor of more frequent status reports.

Even when goals have been agreed upon and employees have received feedback and coaching,

managers will encounter situations in which an employee’s performance has not met expectations.

When a written negative review is required, keep the following points in mind:

Document performance problems.

Evaluate all employees consistently.

Write with a calm, objective voice.

Focus on opportunities for improvement.

Keep job descriptions up-to-date to avoid surprises over expectations.

Terminating Employment

Any termination is difficult and negatively impacts both the employer and employee.

Careful attention to content and tone can help the employee move on gracefully and minimize

misunderstandings and anger that can lead to expensive lawsuits.

In the termination process, state all reasons for the termination accurately and make sure they are

objectively verifiable:

Avoid questionable statements that might expose your company to a wrongful termination

lawsuit.

Consult company lawyers to clarify all terms of the separation.

Deliver the letter in person, if possible.

End the relationship on terms as positive as possible.

HIGHLIGHT BOX: ETHICS DETECTIVE

Solving the Case of the Deceptive Soft Sell

Since we can’t be sure if the CEO knew when the layoffs were going to come, we can’t be certain if the

CEO’s actions were ethical or not; however, upon reviewing the message, it does seem that the CEO was

a bit misleading. The statement “We remain confident in the company’s fundamental business strategy”

implies that things will proceed as they have in the past. In lieu of the recent layoffs, though, the next

statement (“the executive team is examining all facets of company operations to ensure our continued

financial strength”) should have alerted the reader that things might be changing if the executive team

deemed it necessary. (Of course, the “changes” might include layoffs.) Students should discuss the

advantages of using direct and indirect approaches when having to deliver such a message.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT HAILO

Individual Challenge

Here is a possible response:

It sounds like you’re really in a crunch and I completely understand, since we’re experiencing similar

pressure here. I can’t spare anyone at this point, but if you’d like I’d be happy to share some tips on

the project management approach we’ve been using to stay on schedule with our existing resources.

Team Challenge

Here is a possible buffer to use for the message:

Hi —

Great to hear from you. I’m always interested in how your career is coming along.

I know several people who have worked at [company], and they all same the same thing about the

work environment: the company demands a very high level of performance and is unforgiving when

anyone doesn’t measure up to their nearly impossible standards. A friend from college says she

always got positive performance reviews, but the relentless pressure made life miserable after a while.