Taking care with negative messages
Finding the proper wording for corporate communications can always be a challenge, even more so when the message is negative. Communicating a negative message is a complicated art and one that must be handled delicately to minimize the demotivating impact of the message. Poor negative message memos can cripple an organization, while well-written negative memos can effectively limit business damage. Here are some tips on craft an effective negative message memo.
Instructions
Understand the Environment
1. Consider first how much information is most appropriate for the type of message that is being distributed. In some cases, a business may want to provide additional information beyond a simple negative message, perhaps to justify what may seem to be an unfair decision. For instance, a manager sending a negative message memo to his team discussing unacceptable performance might want to back up the message by citing examples of substandard behavior and results. On the other hand, some messages might be most appropriate stated plainly, concisely and quickly. Many businesses, for instance, use this more concise format when crafting negative messages to employees when rumors and gossip have already been spreading. It's often better to ignore rumors and gossip than it is to attempt to address them, focusing instead on relevant facts.
2. Consider next how much your employees may already know or might have guessed regarding this negative message. Are your employees expecting a negative message like this, or will it come as a complete surprise to them? Will you need to justify the negative message memo, or are the employees already well aware of the rationale behind the negative message? Have they guessed that something similar to this was on the way, or has the company rumor mill brought them to an expectation of something far worse than what you actually need to communicate?
3. Consider, finally, how your employees may react to the negative message in the memo. Employee reactions could range from polite indifference to angry phone calls to immediate resignations. What is the most likely outcome of your negative message, and is that outcome acceptable to you? For instance, a negative message memo announcing layoffs might lead to immediate resignations, which would likely be acceptable to a company under those circumstances. On the other hand, you might not want to see employees quit if a negative message memo simply demands higher performance from team members. Before crafting your message, consider whether the likely outcome is something that your business can live with; if not, you will need to use an appropriate tone and justification in the memo itself to attempt to guide employees to your desired outcome.
Craft the Negative Message Memo
4. Use an appropriate tone for your message and desired result. Bearing in mind everything you've just researched and considered, decide on the tone that will most effectively communicate the message and lead to the most desired reaction. If a negative message memo announces layoffs of key personnel in six months, for instance, the appropriate tone might be explanatory and regretful. On the other hand, a negative message memo advising a team that their output has been completely unacceptable and that improvement is needed to avoid termination, would likely use a different tone. Such a memo would be concise, to the point, frank and likely quite short. In this case, you're not worried as much about delivering bad news tactfully as you are about correcting poor performance.
5. Open and close the memo with positives, if appropriate, to balance the negative message in the memo. In many cases, recipients of negative message memos are still considered valued parts of a business team, and management hopes that they will keep a positive attitude, continuing to be dedicated and committed despite the negative message. In these cases, it is appropriate to use the old "positive-negative-positive" feedback trick in the memo. Rather than opening the memo with the problem and desired solutions, open by stating something positive about the employees receiving the memo, and close in a similar manner. For instance, a memo may start by thanking a team for five years of dedicated service, continue by pointing out low sales numbers and making it clear that performance must improve and close by complimenting the team on their past successes, challenging them to once again raise the bar for themselves.
6. Don't write too much or too little, based on your circumstances. As mentioned in Step 1 of this section, make sure the length of the memo is appropriate to the negative message being communicated. A memo chastising a team for low performance should only be as long as is needed to clearly make the case for improvement, with no apologies or needless sympathizing. A memo asking a team to make a sacrifice for the greater good, on the other hand, should be long enough to explain exactly why the sacrifice is being requested and what rewards for that sacrifice might be available in the future without making false promises.
7. Don't beat around the bush. Many managers are so apprehensive about sending a negative message that they obscure the negative message with unclear or flowery language. It may be difficult to communicate a negative message to your teammates, friends and colleagues, but that difficulty is nothing compared to the anger you will experience if they receive a vague or misleading message from you that leaves them even more uncertain about the future. If you were chosen to craft a negative message memo, you were selected because you were the most appropriate person. Knowing that, say what needs to be said without fear or anxiety.
8. Have a colleague review your memo prior to distribution for tone and clarity. You might believe your memo to sound perfectly reasonable, while anybody else, not knowing what you know, might find it rude, belittling or vague. Make sure to have at least one other person review your memo, and make sure that your reviewer understands exactly what your desired result is. Ask that person, "How would you react if you received this memo? What would you think?" Take that feedback to heart, and use any negative feedback to craft a better message.
