ReGen Strategic
Delivering bad news, particularly in relation to redundancies, is unlikely to be any manager’s idea of a good time. And while they’re an unfortunate commercial reality of any business, how you communicate the news can make an enormous difference in how it’s received by staff, customers, and in the case of media companies, audiences.
If you get the comms wrong, it can significantly affect staff morale, spark resignations of other employees and drag your company’s reputation through the mud.
As seen in the case of radio station 6PR, which recently publicly announced two of its presenters were being retrenched, it also led to an uproar from its loyal listeners, which has the potential to affect the company’s bottom line in the future (which was the reason for the station’s redundancies in the first place).
As pointed out by one of the station’s presenters, Julie-Anne Sprague, commercial radio can be a “brutal game”. Having worked in both commercial radio and TV myself for several years, I’ve seen first-hand the struggle to keep audience numbers up amid increased competition and falling advertising revenue. And while redundancies at media companies may not be avoidable, the backlash that often follows probably is.
So, if your company is in the position of announcing redundancies (or any other bad news), what are some things you should consider?
Who should deliver the news.
At any company, the buck stops with the CEO, and in the case of redundancies, staff deserve to hear the news from the top. Our advice to our clients is that the CEO (or other senior managers responsible for the decisions) need to be really clear in their communications and reassure staff that the matter is going to be handled as sensitively as possible. They should also be available to answer questions in person.
Depending on the situation, it might be appropriate for different senior managers to deliver the news to different employees. For example, a staff member’s immediate manager might be best placed to advise the person they’ve been made redundant, while the CEO would address an all-staff meeting.
In the case of 6PR, while it was reported the Sydney-based radio boss did fly to Perth for the announcement that two of the station’s presenters would be taken off air that week, it was the station’s morning show presenter, Gary Adshead, who made the announcement to listeners live on air. About a week later, Adshead announced he’d be following his former colleagues out the door. Considering he is one of WA’s most respected and well-liked journalists, this loss will be felt at 6PR.
Deliver the bad news face-to-face.
Staff deserve the respect of being told bad news face to face, and failure to do so could have significant repercussions for your company and its reputation. While not every staff member can be present in the office for the announcement, it’s important to gather as many as possible to communicate the news clearly, show empathy and answer questions. Being there in person is a signal to staff that you take the matter seriously and that you’re willing to take responsibility and guide them through what could be a tough time.
In many situations, you may need to give affected or senior staff a call first and be ready to send out an all-staff email immediately after the in-person meeting. Communications to other external stakeholders, customers and audiences can then follow.
Show care and concern first.
According to crisis communications principles (which is how delivering bad news should be treated), top of the list is showing Care and Concern. Staff, and in a media company’s case, audiences, are likely to be shocked by bad news, particularly redundancies, and may express a range of emotions. As a CEO or manager delivering the news, you need to be prepared for this, take it on board, and show empathy in return.
It's important that any statement or email to staff starts with acknowledging the human impact of the bad news before moving onto the reasons behind the decisions. Your staff need to know that you understand the decisions that have been made are going to affect people’s lives and that you genuinely care about that. Out advice to our clients is to be authentic and demonstrate that you can genuinely empathise with the position your staff are in.
You also need to communicate to your remaining staff that you understand that the situation is unsettling for them and that they will be offered support.
In the scenario of a media company, audiences are not concerned about the reasons presenters are being taken off air is being driven by the pressure on the company’s bottom line. What they care about is losing their valued presenters, many of whom are constant companions through their radios and TVs.
Understand your audience and have reasonable solutions.
Former 6PR announcer Julie-Anne Sprague described her redundancy as “Sydney swooping in like an angry maggie”, and audiences were incensed. Fundamentally, Western Australians are often very loyal, and yes, we’re parochial, but any company with management based in the “eastern states” needs to understand that and take it into consideration when delivering bad news. Audiences and customers who are loyal expect loyalty in return. It’s advisable to reflect this understanding in your messaging to both staff and external stakeholders, and to demonstrate that your company has considered the options before coming to the solutions and decisions that you’ve made.
Give people the opportunity for feedback.
In a talkback radio scenario, listeners are more than willing to voice their opinion directly, and publicly, to the company.
In the case of redundancies in other types of companies, management need to make it clear they’re willing to discuss the situation and take feedback. When it comes to bad news, morale in any organisation will take a hit, and it’s important for a company to continue to openly communicate and take steps to build it back up once the initial shock has passed.
In the absence of information from management, people will speculate among themselves. This means you lose the chance to control the message and reassure your staff and customers, which could end up affecting your bottom line.
If you get the communications right, delivering bad news won’t mean the end of your good reputation.