By Zachary Roberts
We all can relate to the anxiety and discomfort we get when having to tell someone bad news. Whether it be in an office to your boss, your colleagues in a group assignment, or even your own personal relationships, nobody wants to disappoint. Something which remains key to respectfully giving bad news is communication. In a constituency office, where a vast majority of the job is communicating with constituents it is common that we are giving them either painful or unwanted information about their issues. It is from this experience that I have taken note of several key components when telling people what they do not want to hear, which I hope can serve you in your professional and private life.
A photo from my desk, minutes before having to help a concerned constituent with the very techiniques I am about to explain!
Never be afraid to say something painful, be afraid to say it wrong
Nothing makes bad news worse than a disrespectful or brash presentation. While the shock of bad news can already be jarring for some people, presenting it in a way that makes you look unconcerned by their struggles only serves to make communicating with this person harder. Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but when you are stuck with this burden, it is only fair to ensure you prioritize their care after hearing such news over your discomfort at telling them. An example of this I see frequently in a constituency office is when people come in looking for assistance with immigration or with subsidized housing, both which take weeks or even months to progress. While this is my work, and at the end of the day I am not impacted by the outcome of their case, I still do my best to respect the severity of this situation for the constituent, and treat the issue as if I were the one being told this news.
The “No, But” focus
For you, the bad news may be the end of the issue as you go about your day once they leave. For them it is just the beginning of more troubles as they look for alternatives. It is for this reason you cannot simply give them the bad news and be done with it. The professional answer would give the bad news, but also include positive alternatives or other paths to take to solve this. This is what I am calling the “No, but” focus. You don’t just tell them no; you give them something to work with. For example, often people come in looking for services a constituency office does not offer. I could simply say “No we do not offer that” and continue my day, but in order to make them feel like their visit was at least productive I make sure to guide them to the proper resources by saying “No, we do not offer that… but this office does, here is their address”. Even if I do not have the answer on hand, a quick search with the constituent is often enough to help. It is not a huge hinderance on my part, and only serves to lessen the impact of your bad news.
Our office, which is meant to be a welcoming space. Whether or not we have the resources to help you, we want you to feel like you can come in and find out more!
They say when the conversation is over
Whenever you leave someone wanting more information or answers, you leave them with a reason to come back and ask more questions. To save yourself and them repeated disappointing interactions, before you end the conversation make sure to ask if they are satisfied with the answers so far, or at least understand them. This way, you can either answer any outstanding questions, or guarantee there is nothing else you can do to help them. Another benefit of this step is that it also solidifies your care in the matter, showing that you have enough interest to guarantee that you have helped the best you can.
A photo of election night. A main focus coming out of the election for the constituency office was making sure everyone who came in left feeling like they were heard.
Making the best of it
While the landscape of a constituency office may be different from a relationship, or the average business place, all of these will have their fair share of bad news. While bad news will never be easy to give (hence the name), I hope that these tips from my personal experience working in an office where bad news can be the norm helps others to better deal with this situation, and brighten someone’s day when dealing with bad news.