Breaking Bad … News: A How-To Guide

Dealing with bad news is a fundamental part of being a leader or a manager. Focusing on how to deal with bad news within the organization, we discuss the research on delivering bad news and distill some actionable insights. Specifically, we explore:

• How sharing bad news is hard and painful, but it’s necessary 
• Why and how fairness matters with regard to sharing bad news
• Implications for people, leaders, and organizations

Links and Other Information

• Bies, R. J. (2013). The delivery of bad news in organizations: A framework for analysis. Journal of Management, 39(1), 136-162. Click here 
• Lavelle, J. J., Folger, R., & Manegold, J. G. (2016). Delivering bad news: How procedural unfairness affects messengers’ distancing and refusals. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(1), 43-55. Click here  
• Firing via Zoom: At the scooter-sharing startup Bird and at WW International Inc.