No matter how well you’ve prepared for your QBR, or how sound your strategies are, at some point circumstances will mean you’ll find yourself standing in front of your stakeholders with the unpleasant task of delivering bad news. These are some strategies that will help you prepare for a meeting you might be dreading…
1. Be clear & direct
2. Use a neutral tone
Maintain your professionalism: A calm, composed, and professional attitude will convey the message that you are aware of the situation and you’re taking care of it. If you try to sound cheerful or overly positive your stakeholders may get the impression that you’re either oblivious or panicking. On the other hand, if you sound too glum you may be giving off the impression that you have resigned. Use a neutral, matter-of-fact tone of voice.
Focus on solutions: Highlight actions being taken to address the issue and any positive steps or improvements underway.
3. Provide context
Background information: Start the appropriate section of the QBR with a brief history or context leading up to the current situation to help your audience understand the full picture.
Use evidence & data: Support your message with concrete data, but don’t overdo it! Statistics, and facts can serve to make you more credible and understandable, but if overused it can be overwhelming.
4. Propose a path forward
Outline an action plan: Use the Business Review meeting to clearly describe the steps being taken to remedy the situation, including timelines and responsible parties. If your news is really fresh you may not have set any measures in motion, but it’s crucial that you don’t rush to approach your stakeholders without plans. Outline at least a couple of solid strategies. This may be a good opportunity to get your stakeholders involved.
Set expectations: Communicate what stakeholders can expect in the short and long term. Apart from avoiding any surprises in the future, this will give them a sense of direction and control.
5. Be respectful & considerate
Avoid blame: Blaming outside factors, or specific individuals will make it seem like you´re dodging accountability. Treat it as a communal problem, that you´re in charge of mitigating. Focus on the issue at hand and its resolution, rather than assigning blame to individuals or departments.
6. Seek feedback & follow up
Encourage dialogue: Invite stakeholders to provide feedback within the QBR meeting and ask questions to ensure they fully understand the situation. It’s important to have an open and constructive dialogue.
Provide follow-up updates: Keep your stakeholders updated with any new developments. Focus on clear communication, using structured language and formatting.
Delivering bad news is neither a fun, nor an easy task. The advice above will help you maintain a professional and business-like approach through a potentially difficult Quarterly Business Review, and get your stakeholders focused on solving the problems rather than venting their frustrations.
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