1. McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

2. Chapter 15 Delivering Negative Messages   Overview   Purposes   Organizing   Parts   Tone   Alternative Strategies   Varieties

3. Negative Messages  Information conveyed is negative  Audience’s reaction is negative  Message does not benefit them  Usually they experience disappointment or anger  Varieties Rejections, refusals Policy changes not benefiting customer Poor performance appraisals Disciplinary notices Insulting, intrusive requests Product recalls 15-3

4. Primary Purposes  To give reader negative news  To have receiver read, understand, and accept message  To maintain as much goodwill as possible 15-4

5. Secondary Purposes  To build good image of communicator  To build good image of communicator’s organization  To avoid future messages on same subject 15-5

6. Purposes  Want audience to feel  They have been taken seriously  The decision is fair and reasonable  If they were in your situation, they would make the same decision 15-6

7. Organizing Negative Messages: Clients & Customers 1.When you have a reason that the audience will understand and accept, give the reason before the refusal 2.Give the negative information, just once 3.Present an alternative or compromise 4.End with positive forward-looking statement 15-7

8. Organizing Negative Messages: Superiors 1.Describe problem clearly 2.Tell how it happened 3.Describe the options for fixing it 4.Recommend a solution and ask for action 15-8

9. Organizing Negative Messages: Peers & Subordinates 1.Describe problem objectively, clearly 2.Present an alternative or compromise, if available 3.Ask for input or action, if possible  May suggest helpful solutions  Audience may accept outcomes better 15-9

10. Context Crucial in Messages  Do you and audience have good bond?  Does organization treat people well?  Has audience been warned about possible negatives?  Has audience accepted criteria for decision?  Do follow-ups build goodwill? 15-10

11. Parts of Negative Messages  Subject lines  Buffers  Reasons  Refusals  Alternatives  Endings  Apologies 15-11

12. Parts: Subject Lines  Put the topic, not the specific negative  Use negative subject lines when the audience—  May ignore message  Needs information to act  Keep in mind not everyone reads all their messages  Be cautious of neutral subject lines RE: RE: Important Change 15-12

13. Parts: Buffers  Buffer—neutral or positive statement that delays the negative  Use a buffer when—  Audience values harmony  Buffer serves another purpose  You can write good buffer 15-13

14. Parts: Buffers  Five most common types of buffers  Positives/good news  Fact or chronology of events  Reference to enclosures  Thank the audience  General principle 15-14

15. Parts: Reasons  Clear, convincing reasons precede refusal  Prepare audience for refusal  Help audience accept refusal  Don’t hide behind company policy  Show how policy benefits audience  If no benefit, omit policy from message 15-15

16. Parts: Refusals  Put refusal in ¶ with reason to deemphasize  Imply—don’t state—refusal if you can  Make it crystal clear  Finalize message on subject  Don’t write 2 nd message to say no 15-16

17. Parts: Alternatives  Offers way to get what audience wants  Shows you care about audience’s needs  Returns audience’s psychological freedom (freedom of choice)  Allows you to end on positive note 15-17

18. Parts: Endings  Refer to a good alternative at end  Best endings look to future  Avoid insincere endings:  Please let us know if we can be of further help. 15-18

19. Parts: Apologies  Don’t apologize  If correcting only small error  When not at fault  Do apologize  Only once  Early in message  Briefly  Sincerely  By focusing on how to correct situation 15-19

20. Tone in Negative Messages  Tone—implied attitude of the author toward the audience and subject  Show you took request seriously  Use positive emphasis and you-attitude  Think about visual appearance  Consider timing of message 15-20

21. Alternative Strategies  Recast the situation  As positive message  As persuasive message 15-21

22. Varieties: Claims  Needed when something has gone wrong  Use direct organization pattern  Give supporting facts and identifiers  Avoid anger and sarcasm or threats that you will never use company again 15-22

23. Varieties: Rejections and Refusals  Requests from external audience  Try to use a buffer  Give specific reasons  Give alternative, if any  Requests from internal audience  Use knowledge of culture, individual to craft reply 15-23

24. Varieties: Disciplinary Notices and Performance Appraisals  Present directly—no buffer  Cite specific observations of behavior  Not inferences  Include dates, quantities  State when employee may return to work, if disciplinary action is taken 15-24

25. Varieties: Layoffs and Firings  If company likely to fold, tell early  Give honest reasons for firing  Unrelated face-saving reason may create legal liability  Avoid broadcasting reasons to avoid defamation lawsuit  Deliver orally; backup in writing 15-25