ABSTRACT
It is inevitable to deliver bad news or negative messages in the workplace to disappoint people, who may be customers, clients or staff members. It is common to deliver negative messages in the workplace – in face-to-face meetings, on the telephone, during presentations, or in casual conversations, as in negative performance appraisals, customer service failures, or the refusal of requests – or downsizing, employee layoffs, and employee termination. When leaders are asked to tell their most challenging tasks, delivering bad news is always at the top of the list. Most business communication textbooks available focus on ways to de-emphasise a negative message through the use of a buffer; the merits and demerits of the direct and indirect approach, and different ways to establish goodwill. This chapter covers principles of composing effective negative messages supplemented with updated research findings. Goodwill messages aiming to establish good feeling or relationship are also covered. A comparison of goodwill and negative messages generates insights into what makes effective business writing in the workplace.
