How to share difficult news with confidence.

Your client's thinking of churning. Crap!

You've no idea how to tell your boss.

This is where I see employees mess up. They delay bad news. This tactic doesn't reduce stress. It increases stress.

Instead of delaying the conversation, here's how you can lead with it.

Today I'm sharing a 4-step framework called i4 to help you easily deliver difficult news to your boss.

The i4 framework has 4 steps.

Step 1: Share the issue.

Lead with the issue. Start by explaining the issue clearly. Imagine yourself as a reporter reporting the facts. Here's an example:

"I just found out that customer might churn next week."

Avoid adding feelings and emotions in this step. You can do that later. Right now, your goal is to get your message across quickly and clearly.

Step 2: Articulate the issue’s impact.

Remember B.L.U.F. BLUF is a military acronym for "Bottom Line Up Front." The basic idea is simple: Share the damage.

Here's an example:

“If customer churns, we'll lose X% of revenue in Q3."

Your goal is to communicate the appropriate level of impact, so your boss understands the seriousness of the situation.

Don't skip this step. If you're unsure of the impact, let your boss know.

Step 3: Share you ideas to fix the issue.

You've shared the problem. You've also shared how the issue will impact the business. Now it's time to share your ideas to resolve it.

This step will signal to your boss that you're proactive and are thinking about next steps.

Here's an example:

“I’m going to schedule a meeting with the client to discuss how we can save their business. I’d love for you to attend."

One of my bosses from Texas had a funny saying: “If you bring me a dead cat, bring a shovel too”. The lesson was simple. If you bring a problem, at the very least think of a solution.

Step 4: Get your boss's input.

Don't travel alone. Bring your manager on the journey with you. You can do this by requesting your manager's input and help on next steps.

Here's an example:

"What do you think of this plan? Am I missing anything?"

Your goal is to get curious and see how your manager reacts to the situation.

Trust that your manager has your back. They might be a little irritated, and that's ok. Remember, the goal is to move forward with their blessing.

Here's how the i4 comes together.

The image below has our entire conversation together. You can see it'll take a couple of minutes to get this off your chest.

When it comes to sharing difficult updates, keep this rule in mind: Delaying your message only makes a bad situation worse. If you see something, say something.

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