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Getting good at delivering bad news

Good conflict resolution is a hard skill to find. If you're finding yourself stuck on how to deliver bad news, we've got the scoop.

By Pat Kua

June 17, 2024

6 minutes

As an engineering leader, delivering bad news at some point is a sure thing. Here’s how you can skip the anxiety around it and ensure smooth sailing.

At some point in your career, you will need to deliver bad news to an important customer, stakeholder, manager, or one of your team members. This could be a delayed milestone, a significant feature not making release, or a significant issue impacting customers. Delivering bad news is tough and can lead to anxiety or many sleepless nights. Let’s explore ways to deliver bad news as best as possible.

Reflect on what actions you took

One of the greatest fears of delivering bad news is that others will blame you for the situation.

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