BUS 501

WMBA

CRAftinG
nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
CHAPtER
10
SAPTARSHI DHAR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADM I
NISTRATION (IBA-JU)
 LEARninG
OBjECtivES

0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4
Explain the Organising Parts of a Types of
purpose of negative negative negative
negative messages message messages
messages
wHAt iS A nEGAtivE
mESSAGE?
Negative messages include rejections and
refusals, announcements of policy changes that
do not benefit the audience, requests the
audience will see as insulting or intrusive,
negative performance reviews, disciplinary
notices, and product recalls or notices of defects.

Some examples could

be Refusal/rejection
letters
Termination/demotion/penalty/disciplinary
action Pay cuts/deferrals
 Purposeof negative
messages
Primary purposes
To give the audience the bad news.
To have the audience understand and accept the
message. To maintain as much goodwill as
possible.

Secondary purposes
To maintain, as much as possible, a good image of the
communicator and the communicator’s organization.
To reduce or eliminate future communication on the same
subject so the message doesn’t create more work for the
sender.
 Purposeof negative
In writing messages
a negative message (e.g., when a company rejects a job applicant
or refuses to renew a customer’s insurance), the firm wants anything the
audience may say about the company to be positive or neutral rather than
negative.
Some messages that at first appear to be negative can be structured to
create a positive feeling.
A decision that may be negative in the short term may be shown to be a
positive one in
the long term, or the communication of a problem can be directly
connected to an effective solution.
Even when it is not possible to make the audience happy with the news that
you must
convey, you still will want the audience members to
feel that They have been taken seriously.
describe the problem tell what's wrong clearly and unemotionally so if
it's you have to convey bad news to your boss to your Superior tell them what is
wrong okay what's the issue what's the problem clearly tell how it happened so provide
the background what are underlying factors led to this specific problem
describe the options for fixing it if one option is clearly the best you may
need to discuss only one but if your superiors will think of other options or if different people
will judge the
options differently describe all the options giving their advantages and
disadvantages so if there is one best solution to it balling if there are are
multiple solutions to it and all are good Solutions offer them all the solutions
offer them all the possible alternatives to solve the problem recommend a solution and ask for
Action
this is what would be the best and this is what I recommend and then
ask for Action so ask for approval so that you can make the necessary changes
to fix that problem okay so obviously
depends on the relationship you have with your boss
um build up that sort of relationship with you where you can actually go to
them with an open mind and share the problem share the bad news without fear
 oRGAniSinG nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Giving bad news to clients and customers:
When you must give bad news to clients and customers,
you need to
be clear, but you also need to maintain goodwill.
Putting the bad news first (though pairing it immediately
with an alternative) makes it more likely that the
recipient will read the letter.
 oRGAniSinG nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Giving bad news to superiors:
Your superior expects you to solve minor problems by
yourself.
But sometimes, solving a problem
requires more authority or resources than you
have.
When you give bad news to a superior, also recommend a
way to deal with the problem.
Turn the negative message into a persuasive one.
 oRGAniSinG nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Giving bad news to subordinates and peers:
No seriousnegative (such as being
downsized or laid off) should
come as a complete surprise, nor should it be delivered by
email. Managers may be inclined to use electronic forms of
communication to deliver bad news, but they should resist
the temptation in most situations.
 oRGAniSinG nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Giving bad news to subordinates and peers:
Six factors should be considered when choosing a channel for
delivering bad
news:
The severity of the
message. The degree of
surprise involved. The
context of the problem.
The type and complexity of the
explanation. The corporate culture.
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
mESSAGE
Subject lines
Many negative messages put the topic, but not the specific
negative, in the subject line.
Subject: Status of Conversion Table Program
Other negative message subject lines focus on solving the problem.
Subject: Improving Our Subscription Letter
Use a negative subject line in messages when you think readers may
ignore what they believe is a routine message. Also use a
negative subject line when the reader needs the information to make a
decision or to act.
Subject: Elevator to Be Out Friday, June 17
Many people do not read all their messages, and a neutral subject
line may lead them to ignore the message.
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
mESSAGE

Buffers
A buffer is a neutral or positive statement that allows you to delay the
negative.
To be effective, a buffer must put the reader in a good frame of mind—not
give the bad news but not imply a positive answer either—and provide a
natural transition to the body of the letter.
The kinds of statements most often used as buffers are good news,
facts and chronologies of events, references to enclosures, thanks, and
statements of principle.
Start with any good news or positive elements the letter contains.
exceptional candidates had applied and then that at this
moment we do not have an appropriate role or an appropriate position
that is suitable for Your skills. we are not able to offer you a position or
we are not able to offer you the job for the position of this in the
company [Buffer}. if you are
Interested would like to have further interviews with you for an alternate
position. we think you are more suitable for that position. In nest
application cycle
however we had we like to consider your application .
numerous
applications from excellent candidates like you from different places
and atthis moment in time for this cycle we are not able offer you the
position.
--buffer ---candidate all right okay a negative a rejection is coming a
refusal is coming okay

to we are sorry you are not you were not selected for this that obviously comes as a surprise
It prepares you that a rejection is next a rejection is
coming so it mentally prepares you to accept the rejection or not to be too
surprised by the rejection so a clear and convincing
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
Reasons mESSAGE
A clear and convincing reason prepares the audience for the negative,
resulting in people who more easily accept it.
It is always better to clearly disclose the reason(s) behind why you are
rejecting a request/application or unable to accept, but do so carefully so
as to not harming your company. For example,
Reason that hurts company: Our company is not hiring at the
present time because profits are down. In fact, the downturn has
prompted top management to reduce the salaried staff by 5% just this
month, with perhaps more reductions to come.
Better: Our company does not have any openings now.
openings now okay so when you write that for example :dear ,we want to we would like to thank you for your
interest in our company we found you to be an excellent
candidate and we enjoyed our conversations with you during our
interviews however –buffer,
reason -however at this moment our company does not have any off any openings that matches your skill set
available [in this is the reasoning you provide before you lay out the rejection[] .so all right okay the rejection is
coming right so mentally prepared.

you start with so you start with the subject line first you offer the buffer
at the opening followed by the reason for the rejection tactfully
strategically then last the refusal after that comes the refusal so
deemphasize the refusal by putting it in the same paragraph As the reason rather
than in a paragraph by itself so it strategy
refusal-
so at this moment we do not have any role or any opening available in our in
our company that matches your skill set so we are not able to offer you any
position for now or for this application
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
Refusals mESSAGE
Deemphasize the refusal by putting it in the same paragraph as the reason,
rather than in a paragraph by itself.
Sometimes you may be able to imply the refusal rather than stating it
directly.
Direct refusal: You cannot get insurance for just one month.
Implied refusal: The shortest term for an insurance policy is six months.
Be sure the implication is crystal clear.
 PARTS of A nEGAtivE
mESSAGE
Alternatives
Giving your audience an alternative or a compromise, if one is available,
is a good idea for several reasons:
It offers the audience another way to get what they want.
It suggests that you really care about your audience and about
helping to meet their needs.
It enables your audience to reestablish the psychological freedom you
limited when you said no.
It allows you to end on a positive note and to present yourself
and your organization as positive, friendly, and helpful.
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
AlternativesmESSAGE
Negative messages limit your audience’s freedom.

People may respond to a limitation of freedom by asserting their

freedom in some other arena.

This phenomenon, called psychological reactance, is at work when a

customer who has been denied credit no longer buys even on a cash basis,

a subordinate who has been passed over for a promotion gets back at the

company by deliberately doing a poor job, or someone who has been laid

off sabotages the company’s computers.

An alternative allows your audience to react in a way that doesn’t hurt you.
 PARtS of A nEGAtivE
mESSAGE
Endings
If you have a good alternative, refer to it in your ending.

The best endings look positively to the future, however, avoid endings

that seem insincere.

Insincere (a company that has refused service to customer): We are

happy to have been of service, and should we be able to assist you in

the future, please contact us.

This ending lacks you-attitude and would not be good even in a positive
message.
 tonE in nEGAtivE
Tone—the mESSA
implied GESof the author
attitude toward the reader and the
subject—is particularly important when you want readers to feel that
you have taken their requests seriously.
AltERnAtivEStRAtEGiES foR nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Whenever you face a negative situation, consider
recasting it as a positive or persuasive message.
Southwest Airlines, a low-cost airline, is famous for
saying no to its customers.
It says no to such common perks as reserved seats and
meals. But it recasts all those negatives into its two
biggest positives, low-cost fares and conveniently
scheduled, frequent flights.
AltERnAtivEStRAtEGiES foR nEGAtivE
mESSA
If the GES
negative information will directly lead to a benefit that you
know readers want, use the pattern of organization for informative and
positive messages:
Situation: Your airline has been mailing out quarterly
statements of frequent-flyer miles earned. To save money, you
are going to stop mailing statements and ask customers to look up
that information at your website.
Negative: Important Notice: This is your last Preferred
Passenger paper statement.
Positive emphasis: New, convenient online statements will
replace this quarterly mailing. Now you can get up-to-the-minute
statements of your miles earned. Choose email updates or
 vARiEtiES of nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Claims and Complaints
Claims and complaint messages are needed when something has gone
wrong: you didn’t get the files you needed in time for the report; the
supplier didn’t send enough parts; the copy machine breaks down daily.
When writing a claim or complaint, you generally will use a direct
organization.
An indirect approach, such as starting with a buffer, may be interpreted
as a weak claim.
Follow these guidelines for articulating a complaint:
Put a clear statement of the problem in the first sentence.
Give supporting facts—what went wrong, the extent of the damage.
Give identifiers such as invoice numbers, warranty codes, and
order dates.
If this is a claim, specify what is necessary to set things right, but be
 vARiEtiES of nEGAtivE
mESSAGES
Rejections and Refusals
Politeness and length help.
In two studies, job applicants preferred rejection letters that said
something specific about their good qualities, that phrased the refusal
indirectly, that offered a clear explanation of the procedures for
making a hiring decision, that offered an alternative (such as another
position the applicant might be qualified for), and that were longer.
Furthermore, businesses that follow this pattern of organization for
rejection letters will retain applicants who still view the organization
favorably, who may recommend the organization to others interested in
applying there, and who likely will not file lawsuits.
Alternative, discount offer .
Positive closing
 vARiEtiES of nEGAtivE
Disciplinary mESSA GES
Notices and Negative Performance Reviews
Present disciplinary notices and negative performance reviews directly,
with no buffer. A buffer might encourage the recipient to minimize the
message’s importance.
Cite quantifiable observations of the employee’s behavior rather than
generalizations or inferences based on it.
Weak: X is insincere about work.-Subjective [describing]
Better: X was absent15 days and late by one hour 6 days in the
quarter beginning January 1. Objective
Weak: Y is careless with her written documents.
Better: Y had multiple spelling errors in her last three client letters; a
fourth letter omitted the date of the mandatory federal training seminar.
 vARiEtiES of nEGAtivE
Layoffs andmESSA
FiringsGES
Give the employee an honest reason for the layoff or firing.
Based on guidance from your organization’s human resource experts, state
the reasons in a way that is clear but does not expose the organization to
legal liabilities.
Show empathy for affected employees; think about how you would feel if
you were losing your job.
Show how the company will help them with severance pay and other aid,
such as job search advice.
Information about layoffs and firings is normally delivered orally but
accompanied by a written statement explaining severance pay or
unemployment benefits that may be available.
Thank
you