{"id":1019,"date":"2015-12-15T13:30:39","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T12:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/leggett\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2016-01-20T13:21:28","modified_gmt":"2016-01-20T12:21:28","slug":"communicating-bad-news-to-your-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/leggett\/2015\/12\/15\/communicating-bad-news-to-your-boss\/","title":{"rendered":"Communicating Bad News to Your Boss…"},"content":{"rendered":"

The simple rule of communication<\/strong> must be observed: \u201cThe truth requires two agents, one to tell and the other to listen<\/strong>\u201d. But what happens when the listener is only open to one type of information? What happens when ears are closed to \u2018naked\u2019 truth which you may consider as vital information for your boss to know?<\/strong> Francois de Callieres in his book, \u2018On the Manner of Negotiating with Princes<\/em>\u2019, gives us some very useful practical advice in the following short story.<\/p>\n

Esteven de Gamarre was the Spanish ambassador to the Low Countries<\/strong> at the turn of the 18th<\/sup> century. Apparently this gentleman was very direct and candid in his reporting to the King<\/strong> and his Council in Madrid. However, as the years passed, he saw that he wasn\u2019t picking up any honours and nor was he promoted, which he found bewildering. So he went to Madrid and met his cousin, who served as one of the King\u2019s ministers. His cousin, having heard his list of grievances, replied quietly that he had no one else to blame but himself. His sincerity was the obstacle to his promotion<\/strong>. Much of the information he communicated back to Madrid<\/strong> had been full of distasteful truths which had made the King and his senior ministers nervous<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One answer <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Accepting the advice of his cousin, Don Esteven returned to his post in the Low Countries and changed his tack<\/strong>. From then on, all his communications with the King and Council in Madrid had a positive flavour<\/strong>. He realised the simple fact that Spanish Court wanted to be deceived. They didn\u2019t appreciate negative information even if it were correct and, as history shows, Esteven de Gamarre was rewarded<\/strong> with promotion and titles. He soon became a favourite in Madrid. They wanted comfortable news<\/strong> and were not prepared in normal circumstances to listen to anything else. \u201cThe truth requires two agents\u201d, as De Callieres tells us, \u201cone to tell and another to listen\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Former
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s behavior with his staff members, published by Andrew Rawnsley, led to intense controversy in 2010. Picture:\u00a0World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch\/Photo by Remy Steinegger.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Second answer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bad news hurts, and executives find it difficult to deliver bad news to the person in charge<\/strong>. Andrew Rawnsley\u2019s account<\/a> of Gordon Brown\u2019s premiership in the UK<\/strong> has received attention for its claims that Mr. Brown was abusive<\/a> and physically threatening to his staff<\/strong>, grabbing lapels, stabbing upholstery with his pen and causing his advisers to cower for fear of violence. If true, that is disturbing \u2013 but few people will have found it surprising. High-status men sometimes do abuse that status.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you deliver bad news, you\u2019re disempowering yourself<\/strong>,\u201d says Professor David Sims of Cass Business School. \u201cYou\u2019re less likely to be listened to in the future.\u201d For some ambitious subordinates, this is a far worse fate than the threat of being thumped. But<\/strong> here are some ideas that may help in the communication process<\/strong>:<\/p>\n