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8.5 Key Takeaways

  • Effective bad news communication requires clarity, respect, and consideration of the recipient’s emotional response to maintain relationships and organizational image.
  • Choosing between direct and indirect approaches depends on the situation, anticipated audience reaction, and severity of the news.
  • A structured four-part organization and appropriate language help ensure the message is understood and accepted, while minimizing negative impact and fostering future correspondence.

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Communicating Strategically in the Workplace: A Resource for Engineering and Science Majors Copyright © 2025 by Karishma Chatterjee, Damla Ricks, and Diane Waryas-Hughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.