The Perfect Time to Deliver Bad News Does Not Exist!
Why holding back information destroys team morale, and how to communicate through a crisis instead.
You’re a regional manager sitting on budget numbers that are not looking so great. There’s a glaring shortfall, and it’s been going on for a few weeks!
The problem?
You’re that leader who is waiting for the “right time” to let the team or their up-line know what’s going on. By the time you finally rip the band-aid off, team morale is already gone. Everyone had already sensed that something wasn’t quite right, but like you were holding back.
This happens all the time in leadership. We come across bad news, and we delay communicating it because we think the timing isn’t right.
Welcome to this week’s Monday Myth Check, where we are challenging the myth that bad news should wait for the right moment.
The TL;DR for Leaders
- Silence breeds anxiety: When leaders hold back information, teams instinctively assume the worst-case scenario.
- You’re wasting your team’s “smarts”: Delaying the news robs you and your business of the opportunity to leverage your team’s collective intelligence to solve the problem.
- Lead with questions, not just solutions: Bring your own ideas to the table, but give your team the floor first to empower them.
The Illusion of the “Right Moment”
Let’s talk about guarantees. If you wait for the “right time” to share difficult news, I can guarantee you one thing: there is no right time, and arguably the time gets more “wrong” as time marches on.
While you are waiting for that perfect, elusive moment, your team already knows something is up. If they have access to the numbers, they can see the writing on the wall. If they know you as a leader, they can read your body language. They know you’re concerned, and they are wondering why you aren’t stepping up and speaking out about it.
“When there’s an absence of information, hidden assumptions start to appear. It’s human nature that when there’s an absence of information, we assume the worst.”
If you hang onto this information, your team’s assumptions will snowball. They might go to the absolute extreme: The company’s not doing well. Maybe we’re going to fold. Maybe I won’t have a job next month.
If it’s just a small team, they might simply assume that you aren’t to be trusted. Either way, unchecked assumptions create a massive retention and culture problem.
You’re Wasting Your Team’s Smarts
The unintended consequence of delayed bad news is that you end up trying to shoulder the entire burden yourself.
By holding back, we fail to utilize the very people we hired. We brought these smart, capable individuals onto our teams to help us solve problems, yet we lock them out when things get tough.
Maybe you own the business and you’re terrified that sharing this data will make them fear for the life of the company. But if you just wait, by the time you finally tell them, their reaction will be: “Why didn’t you tell us weeks ago? We could have put strategies in place. We are here to help you.”
How to Deliver Bad News (The Right Way)
The bottom line is that the sooner you share the news, the better. Once you have all the facts and understand the ins and outs of the situation, you need to figure out a way to get that information to your team as fast as possible.
Organize the meeting right now. Get the team together and be transparent: “Here’s where we’re at, and here are the challenges we’re facing.”
Here is the ultimate leadership hack for this moment:
Don’t just dump the bad news and walk away. Have a couple of solutions in your back pocket, but don’t lead with them. Instead, say:
“Look, I’ve got some ideas, but I want to hear from you guys first. What do you think we should do?”
Then, sit back and listen. Let them speak. Let them help you recover the situation. This sends a powerful signal that their smarts matter and that you value having them around to fix things together.
There is no perfect moment. Stop holding it back, lean on the people around you, and tackle the challenge head-on.
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Join the Journey Beyond the Inbox
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As always, enjoy the journey.
Thanks for reading The Forged Leader!
This article was unpacked further in a recent Monday Myth Check.
Watch the full conversation below: