What’s the Best Way to Give Bad News?
What’s the Best Way to Give Bad News? How to Communicate Hard Truths Without Destroying Trust 📦 Framing the Question Giving bad news is one of the greatest tests of emotional intelligence . It’s easy to communicate well when things are going great—but how we speak in times of disappointment, disruption, or distress reveals who we are as leaders, friends, and humans. Whether you’re informing someone of a job loss, a broken promise, or an irreversible diagnosis, the how often matters just as much as the what . In this post, we explore how to deliver bad news with clarity, care, and credibility—without eroding trust or dignity. The SPIKES Protocol: Structure with Compassion One of the most trusted methods for delivering difficult news comes from the field where the stakes are literally life and death: medicine. The SPIKES protocol , developed by Dr. Robert Buckman , offers a structured yet sensitive roadmap: S – Set up the conversation : Create the right cond...