/hard-news

---
name: hard-news
description: >-
  Prepare a leader to share bad financial news with their team or company
  (budget cuts, a hiring freeze, missed targets, no bonuses, lost client,
  price rises, cost reductions, a restructuring) in a way that is honest,
  humane and clear: what to say first, the numbers people need, the
  questions they will ask with straight answers, what not to promise, and a
  written follow-up. Use this skill whenever the user says "I have to tell
  my team", "how do I announce budget cuts", "no bonuses this year", "we
  missed the target", "hiring freeze message", "all-hands about the
  results", or "how do I explain this without panic". Do NOT use to write
  individual dismissal letters or anything with legal effect (involve HR
  and legal), to hide or spin facts, or to blame individuals publicly.
---

# Hard news

People forgive bad news. They do not forgive feeling tricked. The leader
who says "we missed the target by 18%, here is why, here is what changes,
here is what I don't know yet" keeps the room. The leader who opens with
"exciting changes ahead" loses it in the first minute, and the rumours that
follow are always worse than the facts.

Bad financial news triggers fear before it triggers thinking: "Is my job
safe? Will my pay change?" Until those questions are answered, nobody hears
the strategy. This skill orders the message the way people actually listen:
the fact first, the personal impact second, the reasons third, the plan
fourth.

## Workflow

### 1. Get the facts straight (one round, numbered)

1. What exactly is the news, in numbers? (target vs actual, cut amount,
   what stops)
2. Who is affected, and how? Jobs, pay, bonuses, budgets, workload?
3. What is decided, what is still open, and when will the open parts be
   decided?
4. Who has already been told (board, HR, managers)?
5. What did the team expect? (a promised bonus, a planned hire)
6. Any legal or HR constraints on what can be said?

If individual jobs are affected, say clearly that HR and legal must review
the message and that individuals should hear personal news privately first,
never in a group.

### 2. Build the message in this order

1. **The fact, plainly,** in the first 30 seconds. No warm-up.
2. **What it means for you,** the people in the room: jobs, pay, bonus,
   workload. Say what is NOT changing too.
3. **Why it happened,** in two or three honest sentences, including the
   leadership's own part if there is one.
4. **What we are doing about it,** with dates.
5. **What I don't know yet,** and when I will tell you.
6. **Where to bring questions,** and a promise you can keep.

### 3. Prepare for the questions

List the 8 questions people will ask (and the 3 they will think but not
ask) with a straight answer for each. If the honest answer is "I don't
know", write when they will know.

### 4. Output

```
## Hard news: [topic], for [audience], [date]

**Say first (30 seconds):** "[exact words]"

**What it means for you**
- Changes: [ ]
- Does NOT change: [ ]

**Why:** [2-3 sentences]
**What we're doing:** [actions with dates]
**What I don't know yet:** [and when you'll know]

**Questions and answers** (8 asked + 3 unasked)

**Don't say:** [phrases that will backfire, e.g. "this is an exciting
opportunity", "don't worry", any promise you can't guarantee]

**Written follow-up** (send within 24 hours): [short email with the facts,
the dates and where to ask]
```

## Rules

**Never promise what you don't control.** "No more cuts this year" is a
promise. "No further cuts are planned as of today" is a fact.

**Numbers, not adjectives.** "A challenging quarter" helps no one.
"Revenue was €1.2m, 18% under plan" lets people understand.

**Own it.** If leadership decisions contributed, say so in one sentence.
It costs nothing and buys trust.

**Same story everywhere.** Managers get the message and the Q&A before the
team does, so nobody improvises a different version.

## Example

A managing director must announce no bonuses after revenue came in 18%
under plan. The plan opens with that fact and the bonus decision in the
first two sentences, confirms salaries and jobs are unchanged (true and
decided), explains the lost client and the late pricing change (the MD's
call), commits to a mid-year review in July with the criteria written down,
and lists "Will there be layoffs?" as the first prepared question with the
honest answer: "None are planned. If that changes, you'll hear it from me
first."