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Delivering Bad News in Good Ways: Turn difficult conversations into purposeful dialogue, positive outcomes, & focused results in 3 easy steps
Why is delivering bad news hard to do? What are the tactics we use to avoid or postpone having difficult conversations? What can we do to get out of our own way so we can work the problem and get results faster?
When bad things happen on projects, telling people is difficult. This tough job almost always falls on the project manager to initiate these critical, crucial conversations, which typically are time sensitive, have high emotional impact, and require immediate problem-solving actions.
The book also provides a negotiation process and decision-making tips that can be used during the conversation to help with problem solving through the bad news.
In Sigmon's words, "Delivering bad news is a triumph over our own pain and discomfort. It is a path to greater good when shared with compassion and purpose." Among these pages, project managers will learn Sigmon's Separate, Evaluate, and Deliver Method, a three-step process to help project managers take control of their own feelings, to step back from and analyze their reactions, and to come out on the other side with the right message for the right audience.
Drawing from the disciplines of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, business startups, sales and marketing, and communications, the concepts and processes in this entertaining, approachable book are easily applied to professional relationships as well as personal relationships.
Delivering Bad News in Good Ways, which is focused on application in the project management space, is the first in a series of publications tailored to specific groups. Future publications will address the specific needs of healthcare professionals, educators, executives, couples, teens, and parents.
When bad things happen on projects, telling people is difficult. This tough job almost always falls on the project manager to initiate these critical, crucial conversations, which typically are time sensitive, have high emotional impact, and require immediate problem-solving actions.
In Delivering Bad News in Good Ways, Alison H. Sigmon, M.Ed., PMP gives project managers a practical, easily applied method for quickly assessing and effectively responding to the need to deliver bad news appropriately and in a way that the receiver can actually hear.
Packed with anecdotal stories, research-supported facts, and "in the field" tips, the book is built around a core process that guides project managers through several stages: learning the bad news themselves, creating a message tailored to their team's needs, delivering the news in a way recipients can process it, and working with the team to develop ways to move forward.
The book also provides a negotiation process and decision-making tips that can be used during the conversation to help with problem solving through the bad news.
In Sigmon's words, "Delivering bad news is a triumph over our own pain and discomfort. It is a path to greater good when shared with compassion and purpose." Among these pages, project managers will learn Sigmon's Separate, Evaluate, and Deliver Method, a three-step process to help project managers take control of their own feelings, to step back from and analyze their reactions, and to come out on the other side with the right message for the right audience.
Drawing from the disciplines of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, business startups, sales and marketing, and communications, the concepts and processes in this entertaining, approachable book are easily applied to professional relationships as well as personal relationships.
Delivering Bad News in Good Ways, which is focused on application in the project management space, is the first in a series of publications tailored to specific groups. Future publications will address the specific needs of healthcare professionals, educators, executives, couples, teens, and parents.
- GenresNonfiction
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2016
57 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 2, 2020
The real meat of the book was in the last few chapters. I wish the author had spent more time on those points, rather than focusing so much on the psychology up front, which was interesting, but not crucial to getting her point across.
June 17, 2016
Very complex
This is my first Alison Sigmon book. I found her writing style a bit difficult to follow. Long complex examples include several work related issues, The examples were then used as references to her web sight . . At the conclusion of each chapter, the reader is provided with a quick summary and another web sight plug
I found her thought process to be to be to intricate to follow -
This book is geared towards the high power pressures of several different scenarios in a business setting . Personally , I would have liked a more human approach ; interacting with family friends, like , telling a family member you are sick ,or the loss of a pregnancy. Telling you child their pet has died, Telling you husband your unhappy_ Everyday examples would have served the reader with a better understanding. .
I was unable to connect with the examples included,and because of that, I would not recommend this book to read.
This is my first Alison Sigmon book. I found her writing style a bit difficult to follow. Long complex examples include several work related issues, The examples were then used as references to her web sight . . At the conclusion of each chapter, the reader is provided with a quick summary and another web sight plug
I found her thought process to be to be to intricate to follow -
This book is geared towards the high power pressures of several different scenarios in a business setting . Personally , I would have liked a more human approach ; interacting with family friends, like , telling a family member you are sick ,or the loss of a pregnancy. Telling you child their pet has died, Telling you husband your unhappy_ Everyday examples would have served the reader with a better understanding. .
I was unable to connect with the examples included,and because of that, I would not recommend this book to read.
May 6, 2016
Phenomenal insight, wisdom, personal growth promoting, and captivating read!
This book educated and entertained me simultaneously! It provides tools highly useful in both my business world and my personal life. The author's skillful weave of storytelling and training kept me swiftly turning pages, even enjoying learning about my own dysfunctional behaviors! Thank you Ms Sigmon, for this awesome set of pearls.
This book educated and entertained me simultaneously! It provides tools highly useful in both my business world and my personal life. The author's skillful weave of storytelling and training kept me swiftly turning pages, even enjoying learning about my own dysfunctional behaviors! Thank you Ms Sigmon, for this awesome set of pearls.
March 10, 2017
Pretty standard material
Overall a pretty standard book on delivering bad news. Only last %20 was what I was looking for - actual dialogue help and cues. Very solid there.
Overall a pretty standard book on delivering bad news. Only last %20 was what I was looking for - actual dialogue help and cues. Very solid there.
February 17, 2021
The book is a simple slide deck and maybe at most one hour of training bloated out to resemble a book. There aren't that many gems in the book either. The entire message of the book is simply telling people to pause and don't act on first impulse. There aren't even that many practical tips for how to actually deliver the bad news. Can't say I've learned anything new from the book.
April 27, 2016
Alison Sigmon
What one of my readers said about this book:
"I want to know I think you've done a superb job! It's immensely readable. It moves along at a great pace. It's very relatable. I easily see myself in what you're writing about and I think others will see themselves. Your technical information is on point and you never get bogged down in explaining these principles. You really know your target group. And, most importantly, your readers will walk away with something they can quickly apply to their lives. I can't tell you how well I think you wrote this. It's like having a conversation with you -- an easy task to do."
What one of my readers said about this book:
"I want to know I think you've done a superb job! It's immensely readable. It moves along at a great pace. It's very relatable. I easily see myself in what you're writing about and I think others will see themselves. Your technical information is on point and you never get bogged down in explaining these principles. You really know your target group. And, most importantly, your readers will walk away with something they can quickly apply to their lives. I can't tell you how well I think you wrote this. It's like having a conversation with you -- an easy task to do."
June 1, 2016
This is a great read!
Not only does this book show you how to deliver bad news in good ways, but it shows you how your own psyche can alter the way you see your environment and how each day is molded by our responses to said news.
The sections are split in odd ways and to really grasp this book, I recommend reading this book in as short of a time period as possible. If you space it out, there will be references from previous scenarios that might take a moment to recollect. Overall, this is a great read and I recommend it to those in Management positions or those that must deliver bad news on a regular basis.
Not only does this book show you how to deliver bad news in good ways, but it shows you how your own psyche can alter the way you see your environment and how each day is molded by our responses to said news.
The sections are split in odd ways and to really grasp this book, I recommend reading this book in as short of a time period as possible. If you space it out, there will be references from previous scenarios that might take a moment to recollect. Overall, this is a great read and I recommend it to those in Management positions or those that must deliver bad news on a regular basis.
May 15, 2016
There's a lot of valuable information and advice here. The psychological information was very clearly explained whenever "jargon" was used, but not necessarily so for the business terminology. My business education was many years ago and the terminology has changed so I had to stop and think a few times, which made it a little harder slogging than it probably needed to be.
January 25, 2017
not recomended
Try as much as I could I just couldn't get this book read it in just over 30 days it was hard for me to stay with it.
Try as much as I could I just couldn't get this book read it in just over 30 days it was hard for me to stay with it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews