Conveying negative

and goodwi l
Elma Vira Dahliani Ritonga
messages 2318o21
PBI бA
 Conveying negative and goodwill
messages

Negative Messages Goodwill Messages

Negative
Messages
•
A Framework For analysing negative messages
There seems to be a standard three-phase model that guides the delivery oF bad news in
diEerent proFessions in the workplace. The Following Focuses on the preparation and delivery
phases :
a. The preparation phase
The purpose oF the preparation phase is to psychologically prepare the recipient For the bad
news.

1.GIVING ADVANCE WARNING

There are two types (Maynard, 199б): nonvocal and vocal Forms oF Forecasting. Nonvocal Forms
oF Forecasting reFer to the deliverer's behaviour (e.g. serious attitude), which may indicate
the Forthcoming negative message. Vocals one include strategies such as pre-announcements
(e.g. Have you heard about . . .?) and preFacing (e.g. I've got some badnews . . .)

2. CREATING A “PAPER TRAIL”

IF the bad news is severe (e.g. sacking an employee), more documentation is required.
Conveying bad news to a boss also requires more documentation than to a subordinate.
3.CALIBRATING EXPECTATIONS
IF one wants not to be blamed when rejecting budget increase requests, one can reduce the number
oF such requests by calibrating expectations oF subordinates about resource availability beFore such
requests.

4. USING DISCLAIMERS
The purpose oF using disclaimers is to limit one's responsibility when bad news occurs. For
example, hedging can involve highlighting the dihculty oF the task (e.g. “I'm not sure this
is going to work, but . . .”) or identiFying mitigating circumstances in the situation (e.g. “I
am operating under severe constraints”).

5. PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOICE

Allowing the opportunity For voice can allow the recipients to express their stance
beFore any decision is made.

б. COALITION BUILDING
When the bad news has serious outcome (e.g. product quality problems, loss oF major customers), one
may need to seek help From key people in the organisation to reach consensus
about the situation and what should be done to address the problem, which is part oF
coalition building (PFeEer, 1981).

7. REHEARSAL
Both mental and actual rehearsal (Cox, 1987) are important For those who need to deliver
bad news, as this is emotional distressing.
b. The delivery phrase
The delivery phase reFers to all activities involved in the actual delivery oF the bad news.

1.TIMING OF THE DELIVERY

The timing oF the delivery oF bad news is critical in conveying not just liFe and death issues as in the case
oF medical proFessionals but also bad news in everyday occurrence in the work place.

2. MEDIUM OF DELIVERY
Which medium oF delivery to be used is another key concern and this is highly related to the richness oF
the media chosen. In the context oF delivering bad news, a medium, such as Face-to-Face
communication, is
much richer than media such as email, texting, or phone calls as there are Facial expressions and body
language cues which allow better understanding and immediate Feedback.

3. FACE MANAGEMENT AND SELF-PRESENTATION

The manner in which the bad news is delivered is another key concern, which is related to how sensitive
one is in saving the recipient's Face and presenting oneselF.

4. ACCOUNT GIVING
Giving an account or explanation can achieve a Few purposes: (1) people expect an account to be oEered
when receiving bad news (Bies & Moag, 198б); (2) the account can also be manipulated by bad news
deliverers to change the recipient's perception oF them.

5. TRUTH TELLING AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

Bad news recipients expect the truth and all necessary Facts being disclosed.
•
Two diEerent approaches in conveying negative
messages: direct and indirect
Direct
The three main situations where the direct approach is considered preFerential
approach
are:
1. Bad news is not serious:
2. Bad news can be overlooked
3. Company policy
Indirect approach
The indirect approach For writing negative messages is the preFerred approach and is
pre- dominantly used in three situations:
1 To reFuse
requests 2 To
reFuse claims
3 To announce bad
news to customers
and/or employees

The components
oF negative
messages written
•
DiEerent explanation types
a. Casual
Causal accounts are to “lessen a manager's apparent responsibility For a negative out-
come by pointing out circumstances that direct blame away From himselF or herselF.”
b. ReFerential
ReFerential accounts “serve to reFrame a negative outcome by providing a diEerent com-
parison standard For evaluating the outcome.”
c. Ideological
Ideological accounts also involve reFraming or changing one's perception, this time
Focusing on the action or decision oF the manager: “used with the intention oF
reFraming the action oF the manager by appealing to superordinate goals such as ‘For
the good oF the
organisation' or that the action was intended to be ‘character building' For the
employees.”
d. Penitential accounts
penitential account or apology aiming to reFrame one's perception oF the decision
maker: “The decision maker acknowledges the harm, takes responsibility For causing it,
and oEers a sincere apology.”
•
Analysis
Structure
penitential account or apology aiming to reFrame one's perception oF the decision
maker: “The decision maker acknowledges the harm, takes responsibility
For causing it, and oEers a sincere apology.”

Initiatives to de-emphasise the negative message

1in. Ttrhoeducse othF ethse cphaasnsigves.voice to show that it is not the

company's responsibility to
2.The style is quite Formal in the trst paragraph when oEering condolences (e.g.
on behalF oF; would like to; oEer condolences and sympathy), and it is more
neutral and straightForward inexpressing involvement in paragraph using
personal pronouns we and you.
3.Use oF positive words to qualiFy the negative message so that it does not look
negative.
4.Attempt to establish goodwill in the closing stressing that the moditcations
that have to

be made are For the benett oF the reader (i.e. you and your Family).
Goodwi l
Messages
In goodwill correspondence:
1 Show that you care about other things besides
prott. 2 Do not include a sales pitch, except in
invitations.
3 Be sincere, but be concise and don't make your
message too long.
4 In the case oF sympathy messages, oEer practical
help but nothing too specitc.

Initial thanks:
5Thank you very much For . . .
6I would like to commend one oF your employees who has done a superb job . .
. 3 We would love to express our gratitude For your generous donation.
4 Please accept our sincere gratitude.
5 We are very grateFul For your support.
б I would like to express our appreciation . . .

Initial congratulations:
6Congratulations on . . .
7 Let me congratulate you on . . .
Initial sympathy:
1 I was saddened/distressed to hear oF . . .
2 I would like to extend deepest sympathy/condolences to . .
.

3 I was sorry to hear that . . .

4 I was very concerned to hear about . . .
5 It was a great shock to hear the sad news about . . .

Initial invitation:
Formal:
6You are cordially invited to . . .
7I take great pleasure in inviting
you . . . Less Formal:
1 I would like to invite you
to . . . 2 You are invited to . . .
InFormal:
1 Please come . .
THAN@
YOU