The phrase “no news is good news” is more spot on than ever before. Tune into any media outlet and you’ll hear a lot of really bad news—the latest unemployment figures, the situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, struggles over health care reform, and, of course, the impending swine flu pandemic. With so much fodder to choose from, I’ve been observing with curiosity and bemusement as our political leaders deliver these bad tidings in a variety of dramatically different styles. I’ve found that concentrating on how they’re delivering the message rather than focusing on the message itself keeps me completely fascinated and not nearly as depressed. Really, you must try it.

Take Detroit’s Mayor Dave Bing, for example. Now here’s a guy who didn’t even try to sugarcoat his predictions about the beleaguered city when he announced that the Detroit of the past simply is not coming back. This kind of straightforward, in-your-face delivery runs the risk of coming across as uncompassionate or of sending a message of hopelessness. On the flip side, there are those who obscure their unpleasant message by being so convoluted in their delivery that it becomes difficult or even impossible to understand what they are saying. And most recently, we saw how humor can help to take the sting out of a scandal with David Letterman’s admission of canoodling with his female employees. I could do a whole essay on his “performance,” but then I’d never finish this article—another time, perhaps.

Of course, it goes without saying that delivering bad news isn’t an easy task. Nor a fun one. I don’t know anyone who jumps out of bed in the morning and says, “Oh boy, I can’t wait to tell the boss that I screwed up the numbers on that budget report.” Or, “How wonderful! I get to tell Sally that her job is on the line if she doesn’t improve her performance!” Relaying bad news is such an unpleasant a task that I’ve seen some of the highest-ranking executives (especially in the entertainment business) go to extremes not to do it, hiding out in their offices until the situation blows over or delegating it the next in command.

When it comes to delivering the tough stuff, we tell ourselves:

• If I wait, the situation will resolve itself.

• This isn’t a good time; I’ll do it later.

Most of the time, however, these types of thoughts are delusional and only put off the inevitable. So, while I fervently hope for better days with better news, I offer you the following tips on serving up bad news with compassion and dignity:

1) Set the stage for the relationship between the presenter and audience. Identify the goals, needs, and expectations of the audience. Consider the emotional temperature—the nature and intensity of the audience’s thoughts and feelings—that will be brought into the meeting. For example, how will the company downsizing impact them? Then take your own emotional temperature as well.

2) Send the message. Think about what the audience should be inclined to do, think, or feel at the end of the presentation. Avoid generalities like, “I want them to understand the infrastructure changes.” Instead, think along the lines of “I want them to be excited about the direction our company is taking and see this as a positive change.”

3) Acknowledge the problem. The Good News: “Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to Managing Director!” The Bad News: “Despite increased performance, there will be a substantial cut in your bonuses.” This message was not likely to be well-received by my client’s group. After Setting the Stage and rehearsing, she began announcing the news by acknowledging the problem, then continued with an outline for turning the situation around. She complimented them on effective teamwork, while keeping the focus of her presentation on how this would translate into future financial rewards for everyone.

4) Stay on track. The stress of telling someone something they don’t want to hear can be paralyzing. Here are some inner monologues to help you avoid “meltdown.” Repeat these phrases to yourself to help you stay on track:

• I need to tell you this

• We need to discuss this

• You must hear this

5) Be specific. Start out with a positive statement about the person’s performance. Make sure it’s sincere, not empty flattery. Then get on to the hard stuff by expressing feelings of concern. Start with, “This is very difficult for me to say, but I need to tell you…” Use specifics, stating clearly what happened and giving as much detail as possible. Provide concrete examples of goals for change as well as target dates. Giving critical feedback won’t work without offering alternative actions and a time period for fulfillment. Finally, solicit feedback. Take into account the listener’s thoughts and perspectives and you will dramatically improve their chances of meeting the objectives.