How To Deliver Negative News in a Positive Way

How To Deliver Negative News in a Positive Way.

How to deliver negative news in a positive way is something that most of us would love to be able to achieve and accomplish.

You may be thinking how to deliver negative news in a positive way can’t be done. Bad news is bad news and that’s a fact, isn’t it?

How could you soften the communication of negative news and still have someone be happy to receive it?

These are all good questions and I’m not saying that people will be 100% happy to receive negative news. What I’m saying the way we deliver the news will definitely impact the communication.

For example…

You’re at work and you need some help to finish a report. You go and ask Jan, “Hey Jan, I need your help to complete this report, can you help me?”

Jan says, “NO, I can’t, I’m too busy, NO I can’t help you.”

Yes, Jan is busy… How could Jan deliver the message in another way that would be more receptive?

How about this way…“Hey Jan, I need your help to complete this report, can you help me?”

Jan replies, “Hey Sue, I would love to help you finish the report. I’m just in the middle of completing something now, how about we meet at 3 pm today and do it then?”

Sue responds with, “wow that great Jan, thanks so much. See you at 3 pm.”

Does that sound better then just hearing the words, No, I can’t, I’m too busy, I can’t help you?…

What answer would you like to be on the receiving end with this above example?…

Yes, me too…

3 key points I always use when communicating with people around me:

– Very rarely will I use the word NO. It tends to be too harsh and when people hear it, the communication starts to decline because they are busy thinking of a counter argument….I love using the work YES and hearing the word YES so I know others would like the same…”Yes, I would love to help you finish the report”…
– Reflect back to the person what they just said…”You would like me to help you finish the report”…When you reflect back to people what they just said, they know that you heard them. They felt heard…
– Offer another solution…”How about we meet at 3 pm and do it then?” Now we are focusing the persons attention on the solution, not what they can’t have now.

Very simple yet highly effective way of how to deliver negative news in a positive way.

Another example:

Shane says, “Hey Paul, can we meet at your office today at 2 pm for our next coaching session?”…

Paul replies, “Hey Shane, great to hear from you. Yes, you would like to meet at my office today at 2 pm for our next coaching session. I already have another appointment at that time, how about 3-30pm or 5-30 pm today?”…

Shane replies, “Ok great, 5-30 pm will work. See you then.”

Have some fun with this 3 step formula and enjoy the positive feedback as you build rapport with your family, friends and work colleagues for more enjoyable and positive outcomes.

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