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Would you vote for a politician who has money problems?
Politicians come into office to, among other things, manage money that the government spends. The smart candidates, however, aren’t calling much attention to how they manage their own money.
Why? Because increasingly, it’s looking like they can’t win either way. The New York Times’ recent article, “Political Ads Attack the Other Guy’s Lavish Living,” explained how, in this post-recession age, multimillion-dollar candidates are being criticized for being out of touch and not understanding what the average American is going through.
Meanwhile, about a week earlier, the Los Angeles Times ran an article with the headline, “Politicians’ money woes strike a chord with voters,” which stated, “Candidates who’ve faced bankruptcy or foreclosure are finding that many people sympathize with their problems. And their opponents refrain from attacking on the financial front.”
In this election, quite a few people who have financial troubles are running for office. Just a sampling:
Nathan Deal, a Georgia Republican who spent 18 years in the House of Representatives and is now running for governor of Georgia, owes $2 million due to a loan that went to a failed business deal. He may have to sell his house, among other things, to pay off the debt.
Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) is behind on payments for her house — by more than $42,000 — and recently had to list her house for a short sale.
Christine O’Donnell. The Republican candidate running for Senator in Delaware is probably the most famous of the bunch. There are allegations right now that she spent $20,000 in campaign money on gas for personal travel, meals, a bowling outing and her rent in Greenville, Del., which she has defended since her home is also her campaign headquarters. That said, O’Donnell has also reportedly had an IRS tax lien against her and, as the Christian Science Monitor put it, “has been accused of leaving a trail of unpaid bills.”
Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat hoping to win an Illinois Senate seat, has been lambasted because — well, when you’re already the Illinois state treasurer, it doesn’t look good when your family’s bank fails.
The Los Angeles Times makes a good point that, in this day and age, voters are more likely to identify with candidates who have a few money problems than candidates who have a few million in the bank.
But just barely. At least the political consultants and experts I spoke with suggested that the politicians who have had money troubles don’t have much of an advantage over the multimillionaires.
Tom DeLuca, a professor of political science and director of international studies at Fordham University in New York and the author of Liars! Cheaters! Evildoers! Demonization and the End of Civil Debate in American Politics, says, “There’s a new social Darwinism that we’re seeing in politics, especially among a lot of conservatives. It’s basically a harsh version of the survival of the fittest mantra: that people need to take responsibility for what they’ve done. [For example, many] feel that homeowners have been bailed out of mortgages they never should have taken out in the first place.”
But DeLuca adds that how voters view a candidate with money problems — as sympathetic or flawed — depends on what their politics already are.
Debra Caruso, a New York City-based communications expert who owns her own PR firm and blogs about television, echoes that sentiment. “This isn’t a black and white issue. Perception plays a big role. How has a candidate been portrayed in the media? Did his or her opponent run scathing ads that greatly exaggerated a person’s challenges? Did the candidate in question get himself into further trouble by fumbling when answering a reporter’s question? In some cases, for example, you have a candidate with financial difficulties versus another who fictionalized a war record. Who would be the better leader? It may come down to a gut feeling or party affiliation.”
Historically, admitting to financial woes hasn’t been a very good idea, says Matt Eventoff, a communications strategist who advises and trains corporate executives and politicians on public speaking. “The message sent is, ‘I can’t handle my own money — what will I do with yours?”
But Eventoff adds that some circumstances — like if there’s a medical or employment issue that led to a politician’s financial struggles — provide exceptions to that rule. “What a candidate doesn’t want,” says Eventoff, “is to be defined as having a personal spending problem, which is Politics 101 — define yourself before your opponent has an opportunity to define you, and define your opponent before he or she has a chance. If, as a candidate, you have been defined as having a personal spending problem and living beyond your means, it’s certainly not a good thing.”
Joshua Harlow, a senior account manager with Jones Public Relations in Oklahoma City and a former political consultant, says he once represented a homemaker who ran for office — “and she was attacked for not having a job and producing for society.”
Maybe the growing condemnation of how politicians manage their personal finances is fitting in this Facebook and Twitter era of over sharing. Because while this has been the case for some time, now more than ever, says Harlow, “When you run for office, your personal life is on trial.”
Read the original article here.
Media & Communications Specialist Matt Eventoff named to
2010 Forty Under Forty Awards List by NJBIZ Magazine
Honoree is Founder / CEO of Princeton Public Speaking
NEWARK, N.J. – Communications and Media Specialist & Public Speaking Coach Matt Eventoff, Founder and CEO of Princeton Public Speaking, has been honored with the 2010 Forty Under 40 Award from NJBIZ magazine. Eventoff was honored with 39 other individuals at a September 20th ceremony at The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, New Jersey.
The Forty Under 40 awards program honors 40 men and women under the age of 40 who have been making headlines in their field and who share a commitment to business growth, to professional excellence and to the community. To qualify, a nominee had to meet selection criteria that included working in New Jersey and possessing significant authority for decision making within a company or organization. The winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges including: Elizabeth Christopherson, The Rita Allen Foundation; John Farrell, Rider University; and Neil Stanton, Consultedge.
In accepting the award, Matt Eventoff remarks: “The lesson I have learned from my New Jersey community is that it is all about giving back. This honor motivates me in my ongoing volunteer efforts to utilize my gifts to reach out to those less fortunate than myself.”
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“We are truly honored to have the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals,” said David A. Shankweiler, CEO of Journal Publications, parent company of NJBIZ. “As business and community leaders, they are constantly redefining success within the business arena. These individuals share a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and to the community. They are shaping the economic future of New Jersey. On behalf of NJBIZ, we would like to thank and congratulate the Forty Under 40 class of 2010.”
For over 15 years, Matt Eventoff has served as a communications and media strategist for Fortune 500 CEOs, political leaders in the United States and abroad, nationally-recognized litigators, celebrities and leaders from various other industries. Matt’s specialties include message development and training, media coaching, and crisis media management. He has successfully prepared clients to appear on nearly every network and major cable news program, including 60 Minutes, 20/20, Nightline, Dateline, Frontline, Hardball, and Good Morning America.
He is also regularly retained by prominent litigators for his ability to identify key messages that have led to multi-million dollar settlements.
He is a frequent lecturer on crisis communications, public speaking and interacting with the media at top universities — including Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, Rutgers University, Notre Dame and Academy of Science in Ukraine. He is also an active participant in the community, serving as a board member with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters-Mercer County and the Cinque Foundation. In addition, he regularly volunteers with young men and women from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them to discover their individual communication style.
Matt is the co-author of “History’s Greatest Leaders and You,” and is frequently cited by leading publications and news outlets on issues related to communication, including Business week, Bloomberg Report, Associated Press, BBC, Newsweek and the Washington Post, among others. In 2010, his efforts were recognized when he was named to NJBIZ’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” list. Matt received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Maryland and his master’s from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Nicole, reside in Lawrenceville, NJ.
NYBiZ Magazine Complete Awards List: Forty Under Forty List
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Matt Eventoff featured on BBC Radio in response to Phil Davison’s Nomination Speech.
Click here to listen to BBC Radio Clip.
Click To Read Original Article on BusinessWeek
Aug. 11 (Bloomberg) — APCO Worldwide, the public relations firm that advised Hewlett-Packard Co.’s board after accusations of harassment against its chief executive officer, has handled crises from Merck & Co.’s Vioxx scandal to WorldCom Inc.’s fraud and now is helping Wall Street earn back America’s trust.
HP’s board decided to disclose the allegations against CEO Mark Hurd partly based on advice from APCO, a person with knowledge of the matter said, even as an investigation found he didn’t violate the company’s sexual harassment policy. The board sought Hurd’s resignation after it was found he made inaccurate expense reports.
Companies look for advice from consultants such as APCO, a 26-year-old firm, to manage public perception amid a crisis, said Matt Eventoff, a communications strategist. Since Hurd’s ousting Aug. 6, the stock has fallen 8.6 percent and Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has criticized HP for pushing Hurd out. It may have been worse if APCO had recommended keeping the accusations private, Eventoff said.
HP’s stock would have fallen a lot more if the allegations had leaked from a source other than HP, Eventoff, who coaches executives on public speaking and crisis management, said in an interview. “It was a bad situation. It’s not a good situation, period.”
B. Jay Cooper, a spokesman for Washington-based APCO, said the firm doesn’t discuss its clients. Mylene Mangalindan, a spokeswoman for Palo Alto, California-based HP, the world’s largest personal-computer maker, declined to comment.
Merck, Ford
APCO is no stranger to controversy. The firm was in the trenches at WorldCom as executives testified on Capitol Hill in 2002 for falsifying profits.
Kent Jarrell, a senior vice president at APCO and director of the litigation communication practice, worked on public relations during Merck’s Vioxx painkiller lawsuits after a study found the drug doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. He also worked with Ford Motor Co. when Explorers with Firestone tires were blamed for fatal crashes, and Alaska Air Group Inc.’s Alaska Airlines after a flight crashed in January 2000.
Former government officials, journalists and business executives have joined the firm’s ranks over the years, including Gordon Johndroe, a former White House deputy press secretary; Anita McBride, former assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to Laura Bush; and Anne Womack Kolton, former director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
The ‘Worst’ Decision
The decision by HP to ask Hurd to leave has drawn some censure.
In a letter to the New York Times, Oracle’s Ellison said the company “just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago.”
HP’s board determined Hurd submitted inaccurate expense reports and concealed a personal relationship with a contractor and reality show contestant named Jodie Fisher, who accused him of sexual harassment.
An APCO representative wrote a mock sensational newspaper article demonstrating what would happen if the accusations leaked without HP’s disclosure, according to the Times, which reported earlier on APCO’s advisory role.
While companies should bring in fresh eyes amid threatening events, boards also typically seek advice from lawyers, investment managers and in-house corporate communications, said James S. O’Rourke, management professor at the University of Notre Dame.
“But all of it is just advice,” O’Rourke said in an interview. “Ultimately, the board is accountable for the decisions it makes.”
Wall Street’s Image
APCO is one of three firms leading a public relations campaign to help the Financial Services Roundtable, a main lobbying group for banks and insurance companies, regain trust and goodwill after the recession and criticism from Washington.
Margery Kraus, APCO’s CEO, founded the firm in 1984 and has expanded it to more than 550 consultants in 29 offices around the globe from an office of five people in Washington.
Kraus started APCO as a consulting subsidiary of Arnold & Porter, a law firm known for its work in the tobacco industry. By 2008, the closely held company’s annual revenue climbed above $100 million, according to APCO’s website.
While the debate continues in Silicon Valley as to whether HP’s board made the right call or received the right advice, Eventoff says the public disclosure has at least allowed HP to have more control over the storyline than if the news leaked, as was the case with with BP Plc’s oil spill.
“How’s it going to end? No one knows,” he said.
Aug. 11 (Bloomberg) — APCO Worldwide, the public relations firm that advised Hewlett-Packard Co.’s board after accusations of harassment against its chief executive officer, has handled crises from Merck & Co.’s Vioxx scandal to WorldCom Inc.’s fraud and now is helping Wall Street earn back America’s trust.
HP’s board decided to disclose the allegations against CEO Mark Hurd partly based on advice from APCO, a person with knowledge of the matter said, even as an investigation found he didn’t violate the company’s sexual harassment policy. The board sought Hurd’s resignation after it was found he made inaccurate expense reports.
Companies look for advice from consultants such as APCO, a 26-year-old firm, to manage public perception amid a crisis, said Matt Eventoff, a communications strategist. Since Hurd’s ousting Aug. 6, the stock has fallen 8.6 percent and Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has criticized HP for pushing Hurd out. It may have been worse if APCO had recommended keeping the accusations private, Eventoff said.
HP’s stock would have fallen a lot more if the allegations had leaked from a source other than HP, Eventoff, who coaches executives on public speaking and crisis management, said in an interview. “It was a bad situation. It’s not a good situation, period.”
B. Jay Cooper, a spokesman for Washington-based APCO, said the firm doesn’t discuss its clients. Mylene Mangalindan, a spokeswoman for Palo Alto, California-based HP, the world’s largest personal-computer maker, declined to comment.
Merck, Ford
APCO is no stranger to controversy. The firm was in the trenches at WorldCom as executives testified on Capitol Hill in 2002 for falsifying profits.
Kent Jarrell, a senior vice president at APCO and director of the litigation communication practice, worked on public relations during Merck’s Vioxx painkiller lawsuits after a study found the drug doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. He also worked with Ford Motor Co. when Explorers with Firestone tires were blamed for fatal crashes, and Alaska Air Group Inc.’s Alaska Airlines after a flight crashed in January 2000.
Former government officials, journalists and business executives have joined the firm’s ranks over the years, including Gordon Johndroe, a former White House deputy press secretary; Anita McBride, former assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to Laura Bush; and Anne Womack Kolton, former director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
The ‘Worst’ Decision
The decision by HP to ask Hurd to leave has drawn some censure.
In a letter to the New York Times, Oracle’s Ellison said the company “just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago.”
HP’s board determined Hurd submitted inaccurate expense reports and concealed a personal relationship with a contractor and reality show contestant named Jodie Fisher, who accused him of sexual harassment.
An APCO representative wrote a mock sensational newspaper article demonstrating what would happen if the accusations leaked without HP’s disclosure, according to the Times, which reported earlier on APCO’s advisory role.
While companies should bring in fresh eyes amid threatening events, boards also typically seek advice from lawyers, investment managers and in-house corporate communications, said James S. O’Rourke, management professor at the University of Notre Dame.
“But all of it is just advice,” O’Rourke said in an interview. “Ultimately, the board is accountable for the decisions it makes.”
Wall Street’s Image
APCO is one of three firms leading a public relations campaign to help the Financial Services Roundtable, a main lobbying group for banks and insurance companies, regain trust and goodwill after the recession and criticism from Washington.
Margery Kraus, APCO’s CEO, founded the firm in 1984 and has expanded it to more than 550 consultants in 29 offices around the globe from an office of five people in Washington.
Kraus started APCO as a consulting subsidiary of Arnold & Porter, a law firm known for its work in the tobacco industry. By 2008, the closely held company’s annual revenue climbed above $100 million, according to APCO’s website.
While the debate continues in Silicon Valley as to whether HP’s board made the right call or received the right advice, Eventoff says the public disclosure has at least allowed HP to have more control over the storyline than if the news leaked, as was the case with with BP Plc’s oil spill.
“How’s it going to end? No one knows,” he said.
Read the Original Article
By Joe Carroll and Jessica Resnick-Ault
June 18 (Bloomberg) — BP Plc Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward’s failure to set safety standards to prevent the Gulf of Mexico oil spill may cost the company control over U.S. oil fields, refineries and pipelines that account for more than one- third of its sales, lawmakers and analysts said.
Less than 24 hours after Hayward met President Barack Obama’s demand to set aside $20 billion to clean up and compensate victims of the worst oil spill in U.S. history, lawmakers yesterday accused the BP CEO of “stonewalling.” Hayward appeared before a House committee probing the cause of the April 20 offshore rig explosion that killed 11 workers.
Citing a five-year string of accidents and deadly disasters at BP-operated facilities, Representative Bart Stupak suggested the poor safety record could justify banning the London-based company from doing business in the U.S.
“Setting up the fund was a nice pro-active approach by BP, but in reality it’s going to take a decade for them to recover and regain public trust in this country,” said Jonathan Dison of Bender Consulting, a risk management and strategy firm that has advised BP, Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
At risk is BP’s standing as the biggest producer in the U.S., built up after spending $100 billion buying Amoco Corp. and Atlantic Richfield Co.
Shares Gain
BP rose as much as 5.5 percent in London trading before paring gains to trade 2.1 percent higher at 356.40 pence as of 12:50 p.m. local time. The shares have lost 44 percent of their value since the April 20 explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig.
BP’s senior unsecured ratings were cut three levels to A2, the sixth-highest investment grade, from Aa2 by Moody’s Investors Service today, which warned that further downgrades are possible.
The cost of credit-default swaps protecting BP’s debt against default for one year fell 7 basis points to 624 basis points, prices from CMA DataVision in London show.
Congressman Stupak didn’t elaborate on how BP could be banned from operating in the U.S. and whether such authority rests with Congress, the administration, or regulatory agencies.
Scrutiny of BP’s operations in the U.S. intensified after a fire killed 15 workers at its Texas refinery in 2005, and will increase further following the rig disaster, said John Bresland, chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
The board added an investigation into the cause of the rig disaster to a list of federal probes into BP, Bresland said in an interview yesterday. The probe was requested by Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat.
New Investigation
“Our investigation will look at 2 years before the incident, a year before it, the day before, what happened on that day, up to the time the explosion took place,” Bresland said.
BP was cited for 760 safety violations in the past half decade by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, compared with eight each for ConocoPhillips and Sunoco Inc., two for Citgo Petroleum Corp. and one for Exxon Mobil Corp., Representative John Sullivan, an Oklahoma Republican, said during yesterday’s hearing.
Inspections of the company’s five U.S. plants after the Texas refinery fire resulted in a fine of $21 million by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for safety violations. Last year, discovery of more violations resulted in BP being slapped with a record fine of $87.4 million.
‘Extremely Frustrated’
In his testimony yesterday, Hayward not only failed to convince lawmakers he was committed to making BP safer, he may have deepened suspicion of the company by repeatedly pleading ignorance to events that took place under his command, said Matt Eventoff, a partner at New Jersey communications firm, Princeton Public Speaking.
“Mr. Hayward’s comments today, saying ‘I don’t know’ 66 times, evaporated any feeling of responsibility,” Eventoff said. “Any goodwill that the company bought back yesterday eroded today with his testimony.”
Questioned by the panel about BP practices that may have led to the disaster, Hayward said it was too early in the investigation to know the cause.
Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, told Hayward he and other committee members were “extremely frustrated with your lack of candor and inability to answer questions.” Waxman described the CEO’s responses as “stonewalling.”
“I’m not stonewalling,” Hayward responded. According to a transcript of his testimony, Hayward said at least 23 times he was not involved in decisions.
‘Laser-like Focus’
After taking over from John Browne in May 2007, Hayward, now 53, pledged to apply a “laser-like focus” to improving safety at the company, declaring it one of his three top priorities along with people and performance.
In Nov. 2007 he said that BP already was making “great progress” on safety. He simplified BP’s corporate structure and cut several thousand jobs.
This year, at a March 2 presentation to analysts, Hayward focused on financial performance.
“Our direction is clear: the unrelenting pursuit of competitive leadership in respect of cash costs, capital efficiency and margin quality,” he said.
BP is the biggest crude and gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico. The company has amassed about 500 deep-water exploration leases in the Gulf.
BP has spent about $1.6 billion on containing and cleaning up the spill so far. The company’s spending for cleanup and liabilities may reach $40 billion, Standard Chartered Plc estimated last week.
The yield premium investors demand to hold BP’s 500 million pounds of 4 percent bonds due 2014 decreased 1 basis point to 359 basis points, according to HSBC Holdings Plc prices on Bloomberg. The spread on the company’s 1 billion euros of 2016 notes tightened 6 basis points to 531 basis points.
A Disaster is Coming. Are You Ready?
By GEOFF WILLIAMS, AOL SMALL BUSINESS
If our luck holds, you’re reading this, and it’s a perfectly normal day. The weather isn’t especially unusual, and if you turn on CNN or Fox, you’ll see them doing a standard report….
Once you actually reach people in a disaster, make sure you actually are “open and available,” advises Matt Eventoff, a communications trainer. “Nothing is worse than a CEO who stays behind closed doors and remains silent.” Eventoff stresses you should talk to your top talent, repeatedly, so they aren’t nervous and sending negative vibes to the rest of the employees.
Original Article
Check out Princeton Public Speaking on YouTube!
By Christopher Elliott
Sunday, February 7, 2010; F02
When a young woman named Carissa knocked at my door on a recent Saturday evening and introduced herself as a process server, I knew things were about to get interesting…
Matt Eventoff, an expert on crisis management and communications, recommends documenting everything, including any conversations with a travel company. If you think a lawsuit might be imminent, he suggests taking your grievance to the top. "Staff at corporate headquarters tends to be very aware of the public-relations implications of the messages sent in certain situations," he said.
Executives might have second thoughts about suing a customer who keeps meticulous records and isn't afraid to talk publicly about a grievance. "Everything that a company does sends a message, and any lawsuit filed against a customer would certainly send a message — and not a good one," he added.
Elliott is National Geographic Traveler magazine's reader advocate. E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
Please find the original article here. ent/article/2010/02/04/AR2010020401828_pf.html
Conviction seen alternately as stain on Baltimore, blip on public's radar
But not everyone in public relations sees Dixon's transgression as a permanent black eye for Baltimore. In fact, because so many politicians are being caught philandering or stealing or bribing, she becomes only the latest entry on a growing list.
"Unfortunately, the mayor is not the first, or second, or 10th mayor, nationally, to be found guilty of committing a crime, and won't be the last," says communications strategist Matt Eventoff, with PPS Associates in Princeton, N.J.
Read the full article here.
By Jeri Cartwright and Lisa Davis, Cartwright Communications
Layoffs. Disappointing earnings. Plant closings. Embezzlement. The way you communicate news of this ilk could make or break your career. Done badly, and your 15 minutes of fame may be those you never outlive. Done well, and your praises could be sung by pundits, reporters, employees and your boss.
So why do many executives fail to prepare for the day they are the bearer of bad, even tragic news? As the saying goes, stuff happens, and it will happen to your organization.
Delivering bad news well is both a science and an art. These suggestions should give you some guidance on how to prepare yourself to do it well.
Before the Bad –
“It is much easier to communicate bad news to someone who is used to hearing from you regularly…—not only at monthly meetings—[and] especially during tough economic times,” said Communication Strategist Matt Eventoff. Following are a few ideas compiled from Eventoff, other experts, and our own experience on how to prepare yourself and your organization for tough times.
o Strengthen and maintain the good relationships you have with your board members and investors. Never take the lack of criticism as a sign all is well—they may just be disconnected.
o Communicate often and in-person. Misunderstood emails and voice mails can quickly become both “nuclear” and “viral.”
o Be accessible to your internal audiences. Yes, you’ve heard this before. Have you taken it seriously? Sometimes the boss who brags about their open door is the least accessible.
o Take special care of your top talent. You’ll need their expertise—especially in tough times.
o Never forget that news media, business and community leaders, and government leaders should always be looped in.
o Are you willing to be told the brutal truth? Make sure you have several confidants that you will never punish for being blunt.
Creating an environment and processes that facilitate healthy communication and feedback will make a huge difference in how well your organization reacts to both the catalyzing incident, and the way it was communicated.
The Deed
Once you’ve created the ideal environment for the big discussion, there’s still a lot of work to do to get it right.
Be the One: If you have bad news, be the one to break it to others. According to Eventoff, “Trying to hide bad news is a) no longer possible, and b) will absolutely destroy all credibility.” Look at the situation as an opportunity to tell your story on your terms. If you wait too long and the information gets out through other sources first, which is increasingly likely given the 24/7 news cycle and social media outlets, you will spend ridiculous amounts of time doing damage control. And despite the good work you might do in this mode, it’s extremely difficult to fully recover the reputation and relationships you’ve already lost.
Be Brave, Be Clear: One of the two natural human responses to danger is flight. And fleeing the scene, getting into a bunker, or at least trying to hide behind niceties, is one of the most common impulses that ignites as we sit across the table from someone to whom we must tell bad news. “Delivering disappointing information…is often sugar-coated…given in non-direct ways or wrapped up in other neutral news. Many people aren’t experienced enough and to be frank, resilient enough to cope with the pressure. What frequently results is avoidance or a mumbled, poorly delivered message,” advises author and consultant Simon Stapleton.
In a handbook from the American Medical Association (AMA) titled ‘”Education for Physicians on End-of-Life Care,” the AMA instructs doctors on how to deliver life-and-death information to patients. Most of us will never have to communicate that kind of bad news, but the advice definitely applies. “Deliver information in a sensitive but straightforward manner. Say it and then stop… Use simple language… avoid technical jargon or euphemisms… well intentioned efforts to ‘soften the blow’ may lead to vagueness and confusion.”
Be Kind: As a business owner or manager, your first responsibility is to ensure the health of your organization. However, whenever you’re delivering bad news, the recipient will always be another person or group of people. Before you start, put yourself in their position. How will they receive the information? What do they need to know to accept and move past the news? How would you like to be treated if you were in their place? This doesn’t mean you should apologize or waffle. However, answering these questions yourself creates an environment of respect and compassion that will smooth the experience for everyone.
Be a Solution: When there’s bad news to communicate, a good manager can, or should be able to anticipate the questions and concerns that result. If you have to lay off employees, they’ll want to know about severance, benefits, and finding a new job. If you need to tell media about a plant closing, they’ll want to know how it will affect the local economy, and what it means for the future of the company. Be prepared with solutions to your audience’s concerns. An old rule of communication says that people can handle just about any bad news, as long as you give them tools to navigate the situation.
Bad news need not devastate you, your organization, or the people on the receiving end. Care, prepare thoroughly, execute well, and respect your audiences. Failing to do so can have far reaching effects that impact morale, media coverage, productivity, and your bottom line. It’s up to you.
Sources:
Matt Eventoff at matteventoff.com.
Education for Physicians on End-of-Life Care—Participant’s Handbook, American Medical Association
Fred Wilson, owner, Union Square Ventures at avc.com.
Charles Day at thelookingglass.com.
Josh Kopelmen at redeye.com.
