R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Just because lay-offs are now commonplace, doesn't mean we've gotten better at delivering the bad news. Case in point: today's headlines include a story about a nurse who was called out of surgery to receive the news of her lay-off from her manager. Compounding the situation was the response of the health care system who laid her off: they described outrage at the manager's decision to remove the nurse from the operating room because it violated protocols for OR staffing.

Lay-offs may well be the most painful part of a manager's job. At least, when employees are fired for cause, we assume that that action was preceded by an appropriate performance management effort. Lay-offs feel undeserved and disconnected from employee contributions. This elicits both guilt and anxiety (I may be next) in the manager forced to deliver the news.

Hirsch/Hills advice: you can't change bad news to good news, but you must deliver bad news in a respectful way. Recognize that your anxiety about the situation may cause you to be flustered and less than articulate in communicating your message. The key to overcoming this is preparation. Know exactly what you are going to say (and not say) and stick to the script. Be direct and avoid convoluted explanations. Make sure you are clear on the details and parameters and have thought through potential questions related to the decision. And pay attention to the setting and timing: delivering the news in private and at a time that permits the employee to collect him/herself before appearing in public again will reflect that you have given this careful thought.