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Negative messages are not my favorite topic in the business world. However, they are a necessary topic. In this blog post I will be writing about how to use the three steep writing process for negative messages; as well as my own personal experiences with negative messages. Negative messages can have as many as five objectives. Giving the bad news, ensuring the acceptance of the bad news, maintaining the readers good will, maintaining the organizations good image, as well as minimizing or eliminating future correspondence on the matter, as appropriate. To do this we must analyze, use investigation skills, and we must learn to adapt to avoid alienating your readers.





This is important for anyone wanting to enter the business field particularly management or a position of authority. Yes! I'm talking about the three steep writing process for planning a negative message. Something you want to consider, is that the employee doesn't want to hear what you have to say. We
use the first steep to minimize damage caused in the message.





In the first steep we have to consider our purpose or our objective thoroughly and carefully. Weather its simple such as, rejecting a job applicant or more complex such as drafting a negative performance review; in which you give the employee not only feed back on past performances, but also help the employee develop a plan to improve future performances. With a clear purpose, and your audiences needs in mind, you need to gather the information, your audience requires in order for the employee to understand and except your message.




Step number two is writing the actual message. This is where adapting your message to your audience, pay close attention to effectiveness and diplomacy. After all you must remember your audience does not want to hear it. Or your audience may strongly disagree with you, so your message must be clear. If your messages are unclear or unkind it will amplify the audiences stress. Continuing the negative message as clear and polite as possible, you can deliver the news in a kind way. The only experience I have in this is when I worked for McDonalds and was told we were going to have to shut down the store while they re-built it. I didn't think the employees would take it well, but I was respectful and kind and I came pre-pared to answer the employees questions.





Completing the message, the obvious still applies scan and re read the message for errors. Also read the message and think how would I take this. Because as previously stated the employee doesn't want to hear this message or may strongly disagree with you. Bare in mind that the message needs to be clear.






Questions:
1. What do you do if your not giving a reason or a purpose for writing the negative message?
2. What do I do if I'm not giving sufficient information?
3. What if I don't know how to approach the problem?
4. What do I do if I'm not giving sufficient time?