Honesty, Sincerety and Authenticity – Key Ingredients for every hospital CEO’s “Bad News” Speeches

When tough times are knocking at a hospital’s doors, it’s likely that  leaders will want to reassure their staff with supportive and empowering words. But, a CEO or other health care leader must be attentive to the fact that there is a fine line between ignoring important and sometimes grim details that employees and members of the community need to know and offering up totally negative speech – even if it is completely factual. Here are eight things to consider when delivering “bad news.”

Don’t try to sugarcoat the situation.
Employees are always two steps ahead of the leadership team and people know when a speaker is blowing smoke. Example: when President Clinton uttered the words: “It depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. If "is" means is and never has been, that is not, that is one thing. If it means there is none that was a completely true statement.” The nation stopped, scratched their heads, tried to comprehend that tangled web, and then knew he was lying. There was no longer a question about it.

Consider your employees’ feelings and reactions.
If someone is about to lose their job, stress will inevitably and immediately enter into their life. Be prepared for a negative fallout.

Build a good relationship BEFORE you have to deliver bad news.
Last night, Brad Pitt was a guest on the on Real Time with Bill Maher . Bill made the observation that Pitt could kill a nun on top of a pile of dead puppies and people would say, “Oh, that Brad. He’s just so darn cute.” Though a graphic image – at best – his point was that bad blows aren’t quite as painful when they are delivered by a well liked, well respected and well trusted individual.

Tell the truth and tell it fast.
If you are a parent, you can appreciate this. When I ask my daughter, “Who ate all the brownies” and she him-haws around with excuses and blames, I tend to get even madder. “I did,” will work nicely and the punishment will be much less severe than if you give me time to digest the excuses. Rip off the Band-aid.

  Convince your employees that both you and they are part of the comeback.

People will automatically blame poor leadership as the reasoning behind any failure. It is important to plant the seed of solutions immediately following the announcement of a difficult situation. Also, let your employees in on what they can do to help. If a situation can be remedied and your employees feel sincerity on their leader’s part, chances are a great deal of them will follow suit. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, the nation was deeply troubled. Roosevelt had campaigned for the presidency promising a "new deal for the American people." The 'new deal' term became the motto for the sweeping economic and political changes would enact to address the national economic emergency. In his inaugural speech, President Roosevelt first tried to calm the fear gripping Americans, then outlined some of the "lines of attack" to be immediately taken in the days and weeks ahead. The rest is history.

Use storytelling and metaphors.
What would a good sports story be if the main character didn’t become the underdog and face hardships and challenges only to come out on top? Who hasn’t cried at Rudy? That is what I thought… NO ONE! When people are thinking about their jobs, they aren’t as concerned with entertaining the public but by using a riveting “Phoenix rising from the ashes” story to rally your troops, you focus on a positive outcome instead of the present situation.

Do not use PowerPoint slides
When Microsoft came out with PP, it was a giant leap for business professionals everywhere. No longer is your entire audience high from magic marker fumes. PP can be a great resource but when you are speaking on behalf of a sensitive subject, it is best to leave the PP out of it and speak directly to your audience and use undeviating eye contact.

Be realistic and optimistic.
No one wants to hear a doom-and-gloom story, but as adults your employees know when their leadership is going overboard with promises. In Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech I Have a Dream, Dr. King eloquently elucidates the plight of the average African American in 1963. Though a grim time, Dr. King rallies his fellow man, not by insulting his audience’s intelligence by sweetening the truth or by assuring them that in 2008 an African American man would become president of the United States, but instead he very wisely chose these words: “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”