How To Communicate Bad News?

Bad news seems to be the order of the day. Sometimes they burst in unprepared and at other times, we were certain that they were going to happen sooner rather than later. An example of this is the loss of a loved one after a serious illness. Although it hurts, in these cases it seems that it is “easier” to tell someone else.

But there are other situations in which the death is totally unexpected and we do not know how to communicate it to others. An accident, an attack or a natural catastrophe are examples of situations that in a second can make our whole world reel, taking a very important person to us.

Although no one wants to live these types of experiences, the truth is that, unfortunately, they are the law of life. The question is how to deal with them and in certain cases how to let others know what happened. Read on to learn some tips on how to deliver bad news.

What do we feel when we have to communicate bad news?

Giving bad news is a very difficult task. Apart from having to go through a considerable bad drink, the reality is that we feel terrible. Not only because of our own feelings towards the person who has passed away, but also because we care about the people to whom we are going to tell.

The fear of causing harm, despite trying to tell them in the least possible way worries us. Also, we don’t know how they will react to us. They may blame us for what happened or they may answer us badly, it all depends on the coping capacity of each one. Now, as communicators of this news we do not have to take the reaction of others personally.

On the other hand, in these situations many times we do not have much information. And the normal thing is that the loved ones of the person who has passed away have endless questions to ask us. That is where the fear of not knowing what to say enters us, but the reality is that we are human and we do not always have all the answers to the questions they ask us. .. Much less when unexpected misfortunes occur.

Steps to take before communicating bad news

One way to manage those negative emotions that arise in us, as well as try to reduce those of our interlocutors as much as possible, is to prepare to communicate bad news before doing so. A first step is to try to gather as much information as possible about what has happened, to be able to answer the possible questions that we are asked.

You also have to know who we are going to tell what happened. It is not the same to prepare the message for children than for parents, friends or spouses. Although it may not seem important, in this way we will be better able to put ourselves in their place and adapt our speech to the conditions of the person in front of us.

Then it is time to find a suitable place to tell what happened. It may seem logical, but it is worth noting that it is important that it be as private as possible. Finally, it is extremely relevant that we mentally prepare what we are going to say and how. In this way we will avoid saying something unfortunate that makes the other person’s pain increase.

What to watch out for when delivering bad news?

Once we take all of the above into account, the moment of truth arrives. What we say is not going to make the deceased come back, but we can make the other person feel as bad as possible. For this, the information we give has to be very clear and we must be sure that it is true. If not, we can confuse our interlocutor and generate more negative emotions.

Along these lines, we will tell what has happened gradually. For example: “ There has been a car accident and your husband has been seriously injured. The ambulance that traveled there tried to revive him, but failed. I’m sorry to tell you that Pedro is dead. “

You have to say the name of the person who has died, as well as use expressions referring to death, so that it is clear what has happened. If the person has questions, they have to feel that they can interrupt us and ask them, so that they feel that we empathize with them and that we try to support them in these difficult moments …

As we can see, giving bad news is not easy, comfortable, or desirable, but it is important to know how to do it in order to make others understand what happened. It takes a lot of delicacy, a lot of security and above all a lot of empathy to sustain the suffering of the person who receives the news.