Following on from the Terminal 5 fiasco, two directors at British Airways were fired this week. Although Willie Walsh the airline’s CEO had declared in front of the cameras that: “The buck stops with me”, it proved the old adage: ‘that in times of trouble, deputy heads will role’.
To recap, more than 350 flights have been cancelled since Terminal 5 opened at the end of March. BA has lost an estimated 19,000 bags, most of which were driven to Milan for sorting. Many have yet to be returned to their owners.
Before the terminal opened, Walsh was ebullient, but by the evening when he had to face the cameras once again, he looked genuinely shocked. Could it be that this CEO of a major airline where safety has to be paramount, was not being properly and honestly briefed? If so then we should all worry, because if within BA there is a culture of concealment and complacency, then it is negligence bordering on irresponsibility.
That is why Gareth Kirkwood, BA's director of operations and David Noyes, its director of customer services, were forced to leave. Any of us who understand human frailty, can understand why these directors would wish to put a rosy glow on the briefings to their boss. It is after all, not career enhancing to be the bearer of bad news, but as these two directors have found out, a career can be abruptly curtailed when good news turns to bad.
As project managers we often have bad news to impart, and that gives us a dilemma: do we come clean, should we be ambiguous, should we procrastinate, or should we just gloss over it and continue to talk the project up?
So here are five tips on how to be the bearer of bad news:
No Surprises
Any impending bad news should be flagged as a risk while it is still on the horizon, and then flagged as an issue before it can escalate. Predicting bad news and alerting senior management of a future threat shows presence and foresight. Senior management will appreciate that managing bad news in advance, beats waiting for bad news and then managing it in arrears.
Forget the Blame Game
To recap, more than 350 flights have been cancelled since Terminal 5 opened at the end of March. BA has lost an estimated 19,000 bags, most of which were driven to Milan for sorting. Many have yet to be returned to their owners.
Before the terminal opened, Walsh was ebullient, but by the evening when he had to face the cameras once again, he looked genuinely shocked. Could it be that this CEO of a major airline where safety has to be paramount, was not being properly and honestly briefed? If so then we should all worry, because if within BA there is a culture of concealment and complacency, then it is negligence bordering on irresponsibility.
That is why Gareth Kirkwood, BA's director of operations and David Noyes, its director of customer services, were forced to leave. Any of us who understand human frailty, can understand why these directors would wish to put a rosy glow on the briefings to their boss. It is after all, not career enhancing to be the bearer of bad news, but as these two directors have found out, a career can be abruptly curtailed when good news turns to bad.
As project managers we often have bad news to impart, and that gives us a dilemma: do we come clean, should we be ambiguous, should we procrastinate, or should we just gloss over it and continue to talk the project up?
So here are five tips on how to be the bearer of bad news:
No Surprises
Any impending bad news should be flagged as a risk while it is still on the horizon, and then flagged as an issue before it can escalate. Predicting bad news and alerting senior management of a future threat shows presence and foresight. Senior management will appreciate that managing bad news in advance, beats waiting for bad news and then managing it in arrears.
Forget the Blame Game
Watch the project manager on the losing team in The Apprentice try to shift the blame from themselves, to their team members. It is undignified, it is transparent, a fight usually brakes out and then chaos ensues. So forget the blame game, but this is not time for contrition either. The bad news is not just your fault, so stand your ground and apportion blame fairly, and make sure it is backed up with hard evidence.
It is Ultimately their Decision
It is Ultimately their Decision
It is a pain to maintain but keep a decision log. Then when the brown stuff is heading for a large whirring blade somewhere above your head, look back and follow the trail of decisions back to those senior decision makers. Then as the brown stuff hits the fan, gently remind them that this situation is a joint responsibility.
Follow the Prince
To quote Machiavelli’s, The Prince: ‘a prince [has] to have the people friendly, otherwise he has no security in adversity’. Build your network in the good times, and then fall back on it and seek support in the bad times.
Have a Solution
Have a Solution
When the shock subsides, senior management will be looking for a solution, so be prepared with options and recovery plans.
It should be of some consolation to companies that when bad news surfaces, at least it indicates that they have an open and honest culture. As Michael Roberto, a professor at Harvard Business School points out: “Shoot the messenger one time, and it sends a horrendous message to everyone else."
It should be of some consolation to companies that when bad news surfaces, at least it indicates that they have an open and honest culture. As Michael Roberto, a professor at Harvard Business School points out: “Shoot the messenger one time, and it sends a horrendous message to everyone else."
1 comments:
You write very well.
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