Evaluating Good Practices in Bad-News Messages

Which of the following employees shows good practice when developing a bad-news message?

Dan, a manager at Oak Inc., who avoids providing reasons to support the refusal

Aaron, a manager at Calibon Inc., who avoids using company policy as a reason for the refusal

Meena, a manager at WillWare Inc., who avoids emphasizing how her audience will benefit from the decision

Rachel, a manager at TechnoGram Inc., who avoids using the inductive approach when writing the message

In developing a bad-news message, good practice typically involves being clear, empathetic, and providing reasons for the decision while also considering the audience's perspective.

Among the employees listed:

• Dan avoids providing reasons to support the refusal, which is not a good practice as it can leave the audience feeling confused or frustrated.
• Aaron avoids using company policy as a reason for the refusal, which can be seen as a good practice if he provides other valid reasons, but it may also come off as lacking transparency.
• Meena avoids emphasizing how her audience will benefit from the decision, which is not a good practice as it misses an opportunity to soften the blow of the bad news.
• Rachel avoids using the inductive approach when writing the message. The inductive approach (starting with the positive or neutral information before delivering the bad news) is often recommended for bad-news messages, so avoiding it may not be ideal.

Based on these considerations, none of the employees demonstrate good practice in developing a bad-news message. However, if we had to choose the least problematic approach, it might be Aaron, as avoiding company policy could allow for a more personalized explanation, provided he offers other valid reasons.