How to Break Bad News

Bosses suspicious of their employees' high e-mail activity take heart: It may be the best way for them to discuss each other's work honestly

People are more effective at conveying bad news via computer than on the phone or in person, says Stephanie Watts Sussman, Ph.D. Sussman, assistant professor of information systems at Case Western Reserve University's School of Management, and Lee Sproull, Ph.D., a professor of business at New York University's Stern School of Business, asked 117 students to rate another student's resume in person, over the phone or by electronic chat. Students who used the computer were more comfortable delivering negative feedback and less likely to use politeness strategies to distort their message.

With face-to-face or even voice-to-voice communication people have a tendency to tune out the worst and sugarcoat bad news, Sussman says. She believes that e-mail facilitates straight talk because senders don't see the discomfort of their recipients. It can be especially helpful for those who avoid conflict, since people react less defensively to computer messages, she notes.

While Sussman doesn't advise using e-mail in extremely personal situations, like firing an employee, she recommends it for other uncomfortable scenarios, like delivering criticism or bad news to higher-ups.