Bad news is bad news; in business, it can be the end of the world.
So, how does your company deal with bad business-related news?
We ignore it and hope that nobody notices. This actually isn’t a bad strategy, depending on the situation. Don’t assume that the world is up in your grill. If you think the bad news isn’t going to get out anytime soon, then maybe you can buy some time taking the ostrich approach: sticking your head in the sand.
We try to get out ahead of the bad news. Say you let go a key top employee, who in response threatens to go public. This happened with a local chamber of commerce a few years back. You can’t stick your head in the sand and let the other side define the terms of the debate. That said, take the high road. The Joe Friday approach – just the facts, ma’am. Don’t editorialize; say what you need to say, get in and get out.
We throw the kitchen sink at the bad news. My advice: don’t overdo it. You can actually make the bad news that much worse by seeming to overreact. You can, no question, post a press release to your website and complain on your business Facebook page about the long-time client that you just lost, but what good does that really do you?
Chris Graham is the president and CEO of Augusta Free Press LLC, a full-service web- and graphic-design and marketing-services firm based in Waynesboro, Va. Email him at [email protected]. More online at www.AFPBusiness.com.
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