When the news is bad: leveling with employees.
It is apparent that managers or others who must deliver bad news must perform two functions: First, he or she must deliver the news and make certain that the message is received and understood by the recipient. To accomplish this the deliverer must be blunt and provide specific details. If this part of the job is done well, the recipient will realize that there is a real threat and will move on to decide how to cope with the threat. At this point the second function comes into play, and another person's help may be effective. The second function involves providing the recipient of the bad news with information that will help him or her cope with the event. Because the deliverer of the bad news may be tainted in the recipient's mind with the onus of being the cause of that event, another person may be more successful in filling the role of compassionate helper--that is, someone who can help the recipient deal with the psychological issues and rationally evaluate the alternatives available.
D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D010559:Personnel Management; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control