Don’t shoot the messenger

There are times when, as managers and leaders, we have to give bad news.

Rarely do we agree with it, never do we like it (I hope), but we still have to give it.

Sometimes we have to follow an approved ‘script’, irrespective of what we think or want to say. This is part of the role we take as managers, one of the responsibilities we have. It’s not one we probably want, and it’s certainly one we hope we never have to act on. But we have it.

This is just a shout-out to all those who have ever had to do this – it is hard, it is emotional, and it can be unnecessary and unwanted, but you have to do it all the same.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this, in a work context, don’t remember your line manager this way. Remember them for the good they’ve done – the support, the motivation, the guidance, and the time and opportunities they gave you. That is the real person whom you’ve worked with all this time, not the one who gave you bad news.

Photo by Brennan Burling on Unsplash