Messages people do not want.
WHAT COUNTS
Missed deadlines Price increases Rejections Cancellations Errors you made Decisions against them
WHAT TO DO FIRST
State it, near the beginning.
WHY NOT BURY IT
Reading three paragraphs to discover it feels manipulative.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
What has happened or been decided Why What happens next What you are doing about it
WHY THE REASON
It distinguishes a considered decision from an arbitrary one.
WHAT TO AVOID
Passive construction concealing who decided Excessive apology Blaming others Softening so much the message is unclear
WHY THAT LAST ONE MATTERS
Recipients frequently do not realise they received bad news.
WHAT THE TEST IS
Whether they would summarise it correctly.
WHAT TO OFFER
Whatever genuinely helps.
WHAT NOT TO OFFER
Compensation before understanding the impact.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT DELAYS
Tell them before the deadline, not after.
WHY
Warned delay is forgiven; discovered delay is not.
WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH A DELAY
A new date you are confident of.
WHY CONFIDENT
A second missed date is far worse than the first.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Whether it should be a conversation instead.
WHEN
If it is serious, or the relationship matters.
