Negative Messages: Bringing them down Gently with Constructive Criticism

Negative messages are never fun to give, however there is always a way to craft a negative message that isn't forceful, and won't make the reader feel bad about themselves or what they've done. There are five goals of writing negative messages that are good to follow as a template:

1. Give the bad news first, that way the rest of your message is spent coming up with solutions. What is important to consider is how your audience will react to this bad news: will it come as a surprise? Should you get right to the point, or write a detailed, thoughtful message? What is the importance level of your message? What is the importance of your relationship with the audience? All of these questions are extremely important to consider when giving the bad news.
2. Make sure your audience accepts the news, even though it's not good news.
3. Keep the reader on your side by maintaining their goodwill.
4. Keep the organization in mind throughout. No matter what, you must maintain the image of your organization above all.
5. Try to reduce further conversation on the matter, and close your message on a positive note. Avoid uncertainty, be optimistic about the future, be sincere, and be confident.

The most important thing to remember when crafting a negative message is to avoid using negative phrases. There is no guarantee that you'll get your message across by using negatively phrased words. 

There are two approaches in giving bad news: direct and indirect. Use the direct approach when your negative news will not bring an extreme reaction. Use the indirect approach when you expect your audience will react badly.

Above all, be sure that your message is constructive. While stating the bad news, make sure that you are clear to the person that there is a way to fix the problem or rectify the situation. Point being, it's not the end of the world!