How to share disappointing news with people that report to you

Organisations that are small and growing are in constant flux. Large corporates might be growing slower but, in my experience, they are also constantly changing. Senior leaders resign, retire or take on new assignments. Departments and teams are moved and merged. And entire corporate structures or strategies shift, creating small tremors throughout the organisation.

The problem of course is that org charts don’t have feelings. People do. Changes don’t just affect teams and companies. They impact individuals. When you absolutely must make a change that is going to affect a person, you must do more than anticipate their feelings. You must plan your change management around it. Below are 4 things I try to consider:

1. Include them

The bravest of all change management strategies is to include the affected person in the process before the decision is made. It takes more effort but gives the benefit that the decision doesn’t completely blindside them. It also gives you their unique perspective and insight before having to lock in a decision.

2. Make notes

But let’s say a decision has finally been made. You are now going to need to have a conversation. Do I even need to say it should be face-to-face instead of over e-mail or text message? Or that your camera should be on? I hope not! The conversation is likely to be emotionally charged at times and it’s good to have your thoughts laid out in advance. Extra points if the notes are put together well enough that you can send it to them afterwards.

3. Timing matters

It might be better to do it in the morning, or in the afternoon. It might be better at the start of the week or towards the weekend. There is no one size fits all time, but I do think choosing the time thoughtfully is valuable. I once got an unexpected pseudo-demotion at 4.30pm on a Friday afternoon. It wasn’t the best weekend of my life.

4. Open cards

Start at the beginning. Talk about the bigger picture, the catalysts and the knock-on effects. Give the person context and bring them up to speed. Remember, they are going to be processing this, messaging their best friend and breaking the news to their family over dinner. You have an opportunity to put all your cards on the table. The more they understand the logical, business rationale behind the decision the better chance they will be able to make peace with it. Even if it takes them some time.

It’s said the only constant is change. But there is another truth I’ve learned over my career. Not all changes are like a holiday. Sure, corporate changes open the doors of opportunity to some. But it also closes as many doors as it opens. And where there are winners and losers there is sure to be disappointment.

Some of my biggest failures as a leader have involved not managing changes well. And some of my most frustrating personal experiences at work have been around changes that I felt could have been handled better.

As leaders we cannot shield our team members from all disappointment. But we can position uncomfortable developments, changes and other potentially negative news in ways that give people a better chance of surviving the shock. And if we lead well, these shocks can even become watershed moments that launch people into an exciting next part of their career.