Deliver the Bad News Yourself & Admit Mistakes Fast
Term: Deliver the Bad News Yourself & Admit Mistakes Fast | Book: Lipstick on a Pig (the no-spin era): book profile and conceptual summary
Definition and main idea
When there is unwelcome news or an error, the organisation should announce the facts itself at the right time, accept its share of the mistake and explain what it is doing to put things right.
Explanation and elaboration
Getting ahead with the information makes it possible to explain context, impact and corrective action, but it does not guarantee that criticism will disappear. Admitting an error must be specific: what happened, who was affected, which decision or execution was wrong, what action is being taken and how repetition will be prevented. A vague apology with no real change may look merely tactical.
Notes and limits of interpretation
Source versus analysis
Getting ahead should not turn into hasty publication of wrong information or a breach of privacy. Legal and operational coordination is sometimes necessary, but it must not become an excuse for misleading concealment.
Relations to other concepts
- Tell the Truth Early, Often, and in Plain Language
- The No-Spin Era & Transparency
- Crisis Communication in the Real World
- Credibility & Trust
Review questions
- What communication problem does this principle solve?
- Is the message consistent with the reality of the organisation’s performance?
- What exactly should the audience know, understand or do?
- What evidence exists to evaluate the result?