Lecture Business and administrative communication: Chapter 10 - Kitty O. Locker, Donna S. Kienzler

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Chapter 10
Delivering Negative
Messages

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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

102

Purposes


Primary Purposes
 To

give audience bad news
 To have audience read, understand, and accept
message
 To maintain as much goodwill as possible


Secondary Purposes
 To

build good image of communicator
 To build good image of communicator’s organization
 To avoid future messages on same subject
103

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
104

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
105

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

106

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

107

Parts: Subject Lines
Include 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
108

Parts: Buffers

109

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

1010

Parts: Refusals
 Put refusal in ¶ with reason to
deemphasize
 Imply refusal if you can
 Make it crystal clear
 Finalize message on subject
 Don’t write 2nd message to say no

1011

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
1012

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.

1013

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
1014

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

1015

Varieties: Claims and Complaints
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


1016

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

1017

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

1018

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

1019

Using Technology
Deliver bad news orally when possible
 Use technology for widespread negative
messages





E-mail
Social media

1020

Lecture Business and administrative communication: Chapter 10 - Kitty O. Locker, Donna S. Kienzler

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