Definition and Examples of Bad News Messages

Definition and Examples of Bad News Messages In business writing, a bad-news message is a letter, memo, or email that conveys negative or unpleasant information- information that is likely to disappoint, upset, or even anger a reader. It is also called an  indirect message or a negative message. Bad-news messages include rejections (in response to job applications, promotion requests, and the like), negative evaluations, and announcements of policy changes that dont benefit the reader. A bad-news message conventionally begins with a neutral or positive buffer statement before introducing the negative or unpleasant information. This approach is called the indirect plan. Examples and Observations It is much, much worse to receive bad news through the written word than by somebody simply telling you, and I’m sure you understand why. When somebody simply tells you bad news, you hear it once, and that’s the end of it. But when bad news is written down, whether in a letter or a newspaper or on your arm in felt tip pen, each time you read it, you feel as if you are receiving the bad news again and again. (Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Cant Avoid. HarperCollins, 2007) Sample: Rejection of a Grant Application On behalf of the members of the Research Scholarship Committee, thank you for submitting an application for this years Research Scholarship grants competition. I’m sorry to report that your grant proposal was among those that were not approved for funding in the spring. With the reduction in grant funds caused by budget cuts and the record number of applications, I’m afraid that many worthwhile proposals could not be supported. Although you did not receive a grant this year, I trust that you will continue to pursue both internal and external funding opportunities. Introductory Paragraph The introductory paragraph in the bad-news message should accomplish the following objectives: (1) provide a buffer to cushion the bad news that will follow, (2) let the receiver know what the message is about without stating the obvious, and (3) serve as a transition into the discussion of reasons without revealing the bad news or leading the receiver to expect good news. If these objectives can be accomplished in one sentence, that sentence can be the first paragraph. (Carol M. Lehman and Debbie D Dufrene, Business Communication, 15th ed. Thomson, 2008) Body Paragraph(s) Deliver the bad news in the body of the message. State it clearly and concisely, and explain the reasons briefly and unemotionally. Avoid apologies; they weaken your explanation or position. Try to embed the bad news in a supporting, not the topical, sentence of a paragraph. Furthermore, try to embed it in a subordinate clause of a sentence. The purpose is not to conceal the bad news, but to soften its impact. (Stuart Carl Smith and Philip K. Piele, School Leadership: Handbook for Excellence in Student Learning. Corwin Press, 2006) Closing The closing of a message containing negative news should be courteous and helpful. The purpose of the closing is to maintain or rebuild goodwill. ... The closing should have a sincere tone. Avoid overused closings such as If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to call. ... Offer the receiver another option. ... Presenting another option shifts the emphasis from the negative news to a positive solution. (Thomas L. Means, Business Communications, 2nd ed. South-Western Educational, 2009)

Change Management Definition and Its Principles

Change Management Definition and Its Principles Introduction In one way or another all organizations whether big or small will eventually undergo some form of change, whether it comes in the form of changes to organizational leadership, changes to processes due to market influences or simply changes in the way the company addresses interoffice communication, the fact remains that in one way or another change is inevitable and as such it is important to establish methods of managing change so as to ensure a smooth transition from one method of doing things to another (Schraeder Jordan, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Change Management Definition and Its Principles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More 3 Principles to Remember when Managing Change For this particular exercise I chose the following principles of change due to the way in which they reflect my own personal thoughts on what is necessary to manage change effectively: To change the individual, change the system People fear change it happens to them. A clearly defined vision of the end result enables all the people to define the most efficient path for accomplishing the results For me these particular principles speak volumes of what is needed in managing change and as such I will attempt give you the reader a short overview of why I believe this are so and will try to convince you of the accuracy of my choice. First and foremost the principle of changing the system in order change the individual is derived from my own belief that in one way or another people tend to conform their mannerisms to the way a particular organizational structure works. Though it may not be immediately apparent facets such as work culture and internal company rules and regulations work in a manner in which an individual perceives what he should so and how he should do it. While such a factor is important in creating consistency and getting exactly what the company requires out of an employee often such systems enforce a certain mindset on individuals resulting in them being maladaptive to sudden changes in the way they used to do things. It is based on this that in order to change the way in which a employee acts, thinks and expresses ideas it is important to first change the system in which he/she operates in order to bring about the desired change needed (Schraeder Jordan, 2011). Secondly, the concept of people fearing change is well known psychological concept that is deeply embedded in the fact that humans are essentially creatures of habit. People prefer doing things a certain way, they like having routines and they enjoy a life where they follow the simple logic of if they do this they get that (Van der Merwe, 2009). When a certain inexplicable change is introduced into a persons routine three possible things may occur, either: They adapt to this new change They resist to the change that is being induced They attempt to adapt yet fail at doing so. For organizations in th e midst of change the latter two responses are the most troubling since this may result in several groups of individuals either resisting the change or being unable to adapt properly, both of which would adversely affect the company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Going back to the first principle mentioned, it is important to take note of the fact that in order to prevent the fear of change what is needed is to gradually change the system in which a person works up to the point that they are able to accept the change as it happens. The second principle compliments the first in that it addresses the unsaid point that since people fear change it is often hard to change the individual. Thus in order to change a person it is necessary to gradually change the mindset they operate with in order to facilitate effective change with little adverse effects (Van der Merwe, 2009). The last principle chosen is related to the action of having people know what is needed change and thus having them choose the direction in which the change would be best implemented. While this paper has so far shown that people fear change, are often resistant to it and that in order to change a person it is necessary to change the system they work in what wasnt mentioned was the fact that people are often resistant to outside change yet when the change comes from within, in that they see the necessity of change, employees often respond positively towards change and actually work towards it. In the case of the third principle by a supplying a clearly defined vision of what is needed to change instead of forcing the change, employees actually become more amenable to the necessity of change and become less resistant, more encouraging and actually contribute their own thoughts and views as to what other changes could be accomplished. Techniques to Manage Change There are 3 tec hniques that I would like to elaborate on that I believe are important in managing change and are consistent with the principles I chose Changing Employee Mindsets One of the first techniques necessary in managing change is to change the way in which employees think about the way in which they work. As mentioned in the discussion regarding the 1st principle it is often the case that employees develop a certain mindset regarding work which makes them far less apt to change when the need arises.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Change Management Definition and Its Principles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is based on this that what is needed is slowly change internal company policies and workplace culture so as to make it more amenable to the desired change rather than implement it all at once. This conforms with the first principle of change chosen in which a person is changed via a change in the system that they work. Implementing a workplace culture of open communication In the second principle chosen it was elaborated that people tend to fear change, while this is true the fact remains that there are actually method of mitigating this. One of them is implementing a workplace culture of open communication, by doing so not only can employee fears be addressed and taking into account when implementing change within the organization but it can be used as way in which to dampen the unforeseen and adverse effects the might happen should change be implemented. Establish Goals/Purpose driven work In their study examining employee performance it was discovered by Bishop (2011) that it is often the case that employees work better and adapt to change faster if there is a given goal or rather their work is driven by a specific purpose. Taking the third principle chosen into consideration it can be assumed that by creating a defined vision by which employees can work towards not only would this resul t in a smooth transition during change but can actually result in improved employee performance as well. Reference List Bishop, M. (2011). Raising the Bar on Performance-Driven Leadership. T+D, 65(7), 38. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Schraeder, M., Jordan, M. (2011). Managing Performance. Journal for Quality   Participation, 34(2), 4-10. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Van der Merwe, S. P. (2009). Determinants of family employee work performance and compensation in family businesses. South African Journal of Business  Management, 40(1), 51. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

In search of excellence- Advanced Organizational Behaviour Essay

In search of excellence- Advanced Organizational Behaviour - Essay Example The book came up as a result of a research activity that they had undertaken on various companies with a different aim in mind. As consultants at McKinsey, they were tasked with the role of collecting information concerned with organization – structure and people (Peters & Waterman, 2006). So with no particular theory in mind, Peters visited several companies and interviewed them as relates to organizational structure. He was later on asked to present the results of his study to several organizations whose need for a simple summary of information led to his development of eight themes that enabled success in an organization (Peters & Waterman, 2006). Peters discovered that there was much more that was required to ensure the success of an organization rather than the policy statements and the strategies that they implemented to increase market share. At the time when he was carrying out the research, most companies had their policies written down well on paper with a well-developed organizational structure that defined the roles and responsibilities of each member (Peters & Waterman, 2006), a scenario that was sure to define their success. However, not every organization actually implemented these plans creating a situation of ineffective management. In order to collect information, they approached top executives who were well known for their skills and experience in organizational design. Business schools within the United States and Europe were also visited to elicit their views on the aspect. Peters also sought to look into the theories of management that were in place at the time to guide organizations. An interesting aspect of leadership emerged with a leaders role being confined to management of the social forces within an organization. Good managers were meant to shape the organization and guide it in the establishment of a good value system. The book has criticized some methods of management as the