Delivering Bad News

The Dilemma

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services. You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service. One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers. In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment. You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

Consider the Situation

In order to deliver bad news to an employee, one must consider the response of that employee and plan accordingly. There are situations where individuals have shown signs of aggression or violence and it is important that these are not ignored especially when that individual is about to receive news that will likely displease them.

Prepare Mentally

Regarding the situation listed above, as a manager, I would approach this employee very cautiously. Their past behavior has displayed an inclination toward confrontation which could easily escalate when they receive the news that their performance is no longer going to be accepted.

Additionally, I would consider the possibility that there is more to the situation than I am aware of. This is an employee of two years that has obviously not had a history of low-level work since this is the first time that I am speaking to them. There may be some personal situations that are causing them to respond in manners that are not common and they may not even notice that they are doing it.

Question

In order to initiate conversation with this employee, I would begin by asking questions about them. I would check on how they were feeling and offer them an opportunity to discuss any matters that might be impacting their work. When they responded, I would listen to them so that I could understand why they are acting as they are in the workplace. Following this, it would be important to relax and begin a response that includes information from the employee’s last sentence to prove that I was listening (Sittenfield, 1999).

Present Facts

After gaining an understanding of the employee’s situation and providing them with the opportunity to speak about their situation, I would discuss the reasons that I brought them in to speak with me. I would tell them about the information that has been presented to me by both our customers and our employees. I would then take the time to explain the importance of great customer service as well as a safe and friendly work environment.

Anticipate Response

            Speaking to this employee will be, in no doubt, a difficult task to accomplish. However, it is important to do so in order to maintain a successful business. I would anticipate that the employee would be appalled with their behavior and the way that it is affecting their customers as well as co-workers. Being that this employee has been with the company for two years and this is the first incidence of its nature, it is unlikely that the employee will dismiss the conversation.

            However, I would take precautions and have security nearby in case this particular employee continued their mannerisms that got them into this situation to begin with. Though I would be prepared in this way, I would try my best to empathize with whatever feelings arise as a result of this conversation. “Bad news comes with very strong emotions—and you must always acknowledge those emotions” (Sittenfield, 1999). Again, with history of aggression and hostility, one can never be too safe.

Reference

Sittenfeld, C. (1999). Good Ways to Deliver Bad News. Fast Company. Retrieved April 25, 2012 from, http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/23/buckman.html