When you first encounter it, bad news may seem, well, bad. However, bad news is important to taking measured and deliberate action and making progress in your career and life.
But there are some right and wrong ways to give bad news, receive bad news, and respond to bad news. Science provides some important insights on these specifics:
- Sequence. Based on a study at the University of California, Riverside, there is a mismatch between our preferences for how bad news is delivered depending on whether we are on the giving or receiving end. When we give others bad news, we usually prefer to start with positivity and follow it up with the tough stuff. But when we receive news, we’d rather receive bad information first.
- Speed. According to research by Brigham Young University, when we receive bad news, we would rather the person giving us the information cut right to the chase and not try to cushion, pad, or pontificate.
- Sensitivity. In the University of California, Riverside study, experts found that beyond the sequence and speed of delivering updates, sensitivity matters most. The particular situation, person, and nature of the information should dictate how the news is delivered.
- Stress. Surprisingly, a study by University College London discovered stress or anxiety helps us process bad news. In addition, a study at the University of Kansas found an emotional state in the face of difficulty contributes toward learning and improvement. Researchers believe this is because tension puts us on higher alert and causes us to tune in closely—and therefore process bad news more thoroughly.
Regardless of how you give or receive bad news, it has has implications and key benefits on what sort of action you take afterwards.
Responding in a way to build resilience
There is a benefit to seeking out and openly taking in different kinds of data (even that which doesn’t align with our opinions). This is because data and information lead to insight. The more aware you are of different sorts of information, the better you can respond. It may sound like a simple way to avoid burying your head in the sand, but the reality is it can be unexpectedly complex to absorb different sources of information.
Humans prefer clarity and certainty, and we avoid uncertainty and ambiguity. As a result, we may avoid new information or keep blinders on without even recognizing we’re doing it. Remind yourself about how critical it is to stay informed and aware. The only way you can adjust your actions is by fully realizing the situation around you.
While you’re generally staying open to all information, be sure to also look for ideas outside your comfort zone. Staying aware of information that doesn’t match your current opinions, will help you gain perspective and learn more broadly. Also be sure to look for some good to go with the bad. It can be tempting to spend a Sunday afternoon doomscrolling on social media. But push yourself to find positive perspectives and balance the information you’re seeking. Multiple points of view can help you understand a situation more completely and therefore, act more wisely.
Embracing ‘bad’ feedback about yourself
In addition to looking for plenty of information to deepen context, be open to information about yourself. Ask colleagues for feedback or request family members tell you what they think. The positive intention you had for your behavior may not translate to others as you wish—and you may end up surprised when you actions have a negative impact. Bad news is not necessarily hurtful, in this context. Like constructive feedback, it can help you improve and make more intelligent decisions.
Sharing your goals with trusted friends or family can help you learn quicker. Perhaps you want to be assertive and speak up in meetings, but your coworker lets you know you’re still coming off as relatively meek and shy. Perhaps you want to be generous and graceful, but your family points out you’re often rude to waiters or shop clerks. While this kind of information can be tough to hear, it can help you grow into the person you most want to become.
Sharing information as early as possible
When you have bad news to share with others—either about a situation or their behavior—it is wise to share it as quickly as possible and face-to-face—even if you’re on video rather than in-person. When people hear bad news sooner rather than later, they are able to put it in context, understand it, and then take action. This learning process helps everyone solve problems, improvise, and improve for the future. Moreover, you don’t want to delay passing along bad news, as it will not dull its impact; more likely, the other person will wonder why you waited and feel the sting more acutely.
Bad news is hard to hear and stressful to share, but it’s critical way to make personal progress and build resilience, so embrace it in its many forms and share it openly.
Tracy Brower, PhD, is a sociologist focused on work, workers, and workplace, working for Steelcase. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work.
