Written by: Vickie Sullivan | November 17, 2022
When Bad News Is Coming, Here’s How to Position It
Many of us are great at explaining what happened after bad news hits. Predicting unsettling developments that lie ahead, however, requires a delicate dance. You don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but you also don’t want to sugar-coat the danger.
Karen Dynan, former Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, thread this needle during an engaging talk on the global economic outlook during last week’s Women’s Leadership Board meeting at Harvard Kennedy School. Two ways she conveyed that 2023 will be a bumpy ride:
• She focused on the data. Dynan had plenty of charts and graphs, but she didn’t report on them. Instead, she pointed out the details not on the slides. The audience felt they were getting information beyond media reports, which boosted her value. We also got to apply the data to our environment, increasing buy-in on what comes next.
• She explained the gap. Dynan built up plenty of context as to why current solutions won’t solve the upcoming train wreck. Then she got blunt: Interest rates alone won’t stave off a recession. We also need the labor market to loosen and wages to stabilize. By adding these conditions, we saw the writing on the wall without her spelling the situation out.
Listen: How to Cushion a Hard Blow
The common denominator: These tactics let the audience draw their own conclusions. By positioning her findings as an educated heads-up, Dynan didn’t have to ring any alarm bells. Thought leaders can use these techniques, too, when they have hard news that folks might not want to hear.
Now Read This: