Delivering Bad News in Spoken versus Written Form

This activity is important because you will often deliver bad news in the workplace. You should choose spoken versus written delivery by carefully evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of each communication channel.

The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate your understanding of the advantages of delivering bad news in both spoken form and written form.

Hover over each item to read it in its entirety. Determine whether the item is more likely an advantage for delivering bad news in spoken form or written form.

Spoken Form
Written Form

- Clarity
- Intentions
- Cues
- Respond
- Document
- More people
- Conversational
- Craft

The given exercise aims to highlight the advantages of delivering bad news in both spoken and written forms, emphasizing the importance of choosing the appropriate communication channel based on the specific context and goals. Spoken form is advantageous for aspects such as clarity, as verbal communication allows for immediate clarification and feedback, and for conveying intentions and emotions through tone of voice and non-verbal cues. Additionally, spoken communication enables a more conversational approach, facilitating a more empathetic and interactive exchange during the delivery of bad news.

On the other hand, written form offers advantages such as documentation, as written communication provides a tangible record of the message conveyed, which can be referenced and archived for future reference or legal purposes. Moreover, written communication can reach a larger audience simultaneously, making it suitable for delivering bad news to multiple recipients or stakeholders. Additionally, written communication allows for careful crafting of the message, enabling the sender to revise and refine the wording to ensure clarity and sensitivity in delivering the bad news.

In summary, both spoken and written forms of communication have their distinct advantages in delivering bad news. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each communication channel is essential for effectively conveying the message while considering factors such as clarity, audience, intention, and documentation requirements. By evaluating these factors, individuals can choose the most appropriate communication method to ensure the delivery of bad news is handled with sensitivity, professionalism, and effectiveness.