By Alicia Woods
LifeAtStart.com reporter
Delivering bad news can be tricky, as it should be. So sharing good news should be a relatively easy feat, right? Wrong. Delivering good news, without a right course of action, can cause more harm than good. Without a suitable plan, your merry message of wholesome goodness can backfire completely. With these tips, you can make sure your good news stay good news.
Tip #1: Is it really good news?
Before you even think about making an elaborate plan on how to tell Jim he finally got that promotion ask yourself this: is it really good news? Are you sure the manager said “Jim” instead of that “Tim” fellow down the hall? Check your sources and make sure they’re reliable. If not your “good” news becomes “fake” news, and we don’t want another Donald Trump on our hands.
Tip #2: Plan is in motion!
Now that we have concluded that the news is in fact good, we have to have a plan. Don’t leave your conversation to chance and decide to let fate take the wheel. With a plan in mind your chance of an positive reaction increases. You don’t want anybody to have the wrong idea. Consider the 5 elements of communication: Who, what, why, when and how. With these things in mind, you are already on a path to succeed.
Tip #3: Who?
Make sure you know who you are delivering your message to. Don’t add unnecessary factors, such as unnecessary listeners, in your plan. The less drama the better. We don’t need Tim complaining on why he didn’t get that promotion.
Tip #4: What and why?
What needs to be said and why? Pick out the main points of your message and exploit them. No unnecessary information is needed. Be direct and considerate on your delivery and know why you need to tell them. Inconsideration can make things go south real quickly.
Tip #5: Anybody got the time?
Timing is everything. Make sure the recipient of your news doesn’t have anything else on their plate. Too much and it might tip over. If their attention is focused else where because of said events your news maybe undermined and, quite frankly, become bottom of the barrel.
Tip #6: How we doin’ this?
Pick your way of communication that benefits both you and them. Is the current message really worth the time and effort of going to said person and telling them that they simply have more work to do? Or can’t you just send them a text, email or even a letter to tell them of this momentous occasion?
Knowing how to deliver news is everything. Whether it’s good or bad, you need to know how to approach the situation. Next all you need to know is how to deliver regular news.