It’s inevitable. At some point in your career, you will have to break bad news to your team when situations arise. It could be layoffs, pay cuts, product cancellation or something else that can potentially hurt the morale of your team. While sharing bad news is never easy, there are effective ways to ensure that your team can move forward with the changes. Use this presentation template to break bad news in the best way possible.
Step 1: Take Responsibility
For starters, don’t make excuses or blame others for the cause of the bad news. That is a poor example of leadership. Show transparency by being as truthful as possible. Use these truths to justify the decisions that lead up to the bad news. It’s better to be direct about how the decisions were made, rather than vague. Talent management expert Susan Heathfield says pay attention to your body language. “Be sure that your nonverbal cues aren’t telegraphing something different than what you’re saying.” Crossing your arms, looking down and pacing back and forth will make you appear less confident. This is an opportunity for you to lead, and your team will be looking up to you for leadership.
Presentation Template Worksheet:
What is the story behind the bad news (i.e. layoffs, pay cuts, etc.)?
What were the decisions that lead up to this situation?
How can you use this moment to make the situation better?
Related Post: The 10 Commandments for Delivering Bad News
Step 2: Listen to Reactions
As expected, not everyone will be happy. Many people in your audience may speak up out of anger or frustration. Do not silence these voices. Give them the opportunity to speak to let them know you are listening. Forbes reports that one major mistake leaders make when sharing bad news is not listening. “Don’t try to talk people out of being upset. Once you’ve let a big cat out of a big bag, you need to let people say what they think and feel about it. Some leaders get it right up to this point – they quickly say what’s true, and take responsibility for it – and then they blow it by trying to stifle people’s natural reactions.” This can feel like a slap in the face for your team.
Presentation Template Worksheet:
What reaction are you anticipating?
To what extent do you think this will impact your team members lives?
What questions do you expect your team to have?
Step 3: Frame the Future
This is a silver lining to every situation. It may be difficult to get everyone on board, it’s important to end your presentation on a strong note about the future. Describe what actions you will take to make sure the situation doesn’t happen again. Take suggestions seriously and continue to show transparency as the dust settles. Most importantly, follow through with the actions you promised. Forbes says if you “don’t take the actions needed to address the situation, you’ll probably be seen in an even worse light than if you did nothing.” Create a game plan that you can commit to for the immediate future.
Presentation Template Worksheet:
What’s one thing you can do in the next week to help the situation?
How do you plan to prevent another situation like this?
Create a month-long action item list that you can commit to.
The good thing about bad news is that we can all learn from the mistakes. Be prepared to handle tough conversations and hostile emotions following this type of presentation. In the long run, this experience will help you become a stronger leader. And remember that time heals all wounds. You always have the opportunity to repair work relationships with enough patience and space.
Want to see more presentation template posts? Check out these blogs:
Presentation Template: How To Write Your Presentation Opening
Presentation Template: How To Write Your Presentation Closing
