MANAGEMENT III

II. ANNOUNCING BAD NEWS

1. BREAKING THE NEWS

Explaining tough conditions

Even when some things have gone well, you may need to deliver bad news. Use these expressions to indicate contrast.

Despite the merger, we hope to keep all our staff on board.

Although our profits are higher than last year, we have to make cuts.

We've failed to attract new clients. That being said, our current clients remain loyal.

Language for cause and effect can help explain why a hard decision had to be taken.

Clients are unhappy. Consequently, we have to revise our methods.

We're outsourcing tech support. As a result, many of our IT staff will lose their jobs.

You may want to show empathy by acknowledging the news you are giving is bad.

Unfortunately, we've made the difficult decision to begin layoffs.

1. Despite our tremendous efforts to create a successful product, our company has experienced negative earnings ...
2. Although the launching of our product was a success, thanks to our exceptional team and your outstanding performance, the market has shown to have extremely aggressive competition ...
3. Consequently , our company is undergoing a structural reorganization in order to operate more efficiently.
4. As a result , our department will be dissolving and merging with the marketing department …
5. Unfortunately , I must inform you that we will have to undergo a reduction on staff of 25 percent over the next four months.
6. All employees who are reassigned will keep their current salaries; that being said , due to the aforementioned circumstances, commissions and raises will have to be temporarily frozen.

Despite the shift in the market, our position is strong.
Although the market has shifted, our position remains strong.
The market has shifted. That being said, our position is strong.


Clients are happy, but we must keep improving.
Despite clients being happy, we must keep improving.
Clients are happy. That being said, we must keep improving.

Because of bad sales we must consider making cuts.

Sales have been bad. As a result, we must think of making cuts.
Sales have been bad. Consequently, we must consider making cuts.

TO: All

FROM: rob.waters@viz.com

Hi, everyone.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting with the director, who had some bad news.

As you know, demand for our range of eyewear has dropped dramatically since a key competitor opened storefronts in seven major cities. As a result, we have failed to meet our targets this year, and we must urgently find ways to cut costs. Unfortunately , the director has decided to reduce staff by 10 percent.

Despite the fact that our department has provided consistently good work, including performing key market research, we must make cuts, too. The director has left this decision to me. Consequently , I have decided to review individual performance, starting with a series of interviews.

I'm sorry to have to give you what must be worrying news. That being said , remember that most of us will remain as employees, and we will work with you to minimize the job losses.

Thanks,

Rob

2. ADDRESSING EMPLOYEES' CONCERNS

Addressing concerns

When companies have serious problems, employees may have to be laid off, which means they'll lose their jobs. If this happens, they usually get a severance package to support them while they look for work. Employees will be anxious about the future, so be sure to discuss any positions available after the cuts happen.

Some of you have come to me with fears about being laid off.

We will be offering what I think is a very generous severance package.

Unfortunately, we won't know about the number of positions available until later.

To save money, you might temporarily stop bonuses, raises and incentives.

We're placing a freeze on all commissions for six months.

Detail any changes in pay. Receiving a percentage of a sale as reward is a commission. An increase in salary is a raise, and a decrease is a pay cut. Benefits include things like bonuses, use of a company car and the continuation of health plans.

We'll be reviewing extras like commissions and raises.

Your salaries and benefits are secure.

I'm sorry to say I can't promise the continuation of your health plans.

It will be difficult. Some of you, unfortunately, may even experience a pay cut.

After the merger, there will be some positions available in other departments.
Employee pay will be unchanged.
Commissions and raises will be cancelled.

Some of you will have to take a pay cut.

Unfortunately, there will not be enough positions available for everyone. 

Many employees are concerned about the continuation of their health plans. 

I can confirm your severance packages will be fair.

Unfortunately, there will be a freeze on all raises.

3. CONCLUDING MOTIVATIONALLY

Concluding reassuringly

After you've answered questions, acknowledge that your employees' concerns are valid. Show empathy, and emphasize that the change is necessary.

I understand your concern.

I regret that these measures must be taken.

Unfortunately, these pay cuts are unavoidable.

End by pointing out the positive aspects of the situation. Note that to reassure is to remove doubt or worry, and to reiterate is to say something again because it is important.

I'd like to reassure you we are working hard on finding solutions. I would also like to reiterate there will be no change for at least a month. On the bright side, things are looking better for the next quarter. We greatly appreciate your commitment and dedication. We'll keep you informed.

Are there any more questions? I understand your concern . I very much regret that these measures must be taken. Nonetheless, these temporary layoffs are unavoidable . I would like to reassure you that our intention is to try to reassign as many employees as possible in our department. I would also like to reiterate that this is a temporary layoff. On the bright side, do know that our goal is to recall all of our employees who had to be let go. In order to do so, we must continue to pursue the stability of our product and the well-being of our company. We greatlyappreciate all of your hard work and cooperation during these difficult times, and we will continue to keep you informed .

1. It's my duty to announce upcoming layoffs and pay cuts. I sincerely regret that these measures must betaken.

2. I know this is hard news to hear.  On the bright side , we're working to minimize the effects.

3. Thank you for your service. We greatly appreciate your dedication.

4. It's vital we keep communication open. We'll keep you informed with updates as the situationdevelops.

5. We've investigated every possibility, and unfortunately, these changes  are unavoidable .

III. MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM AFTER DIFFICULTIES 

1. MOTIVATIONAL PHRASES

Motivating your team

From

Henry Simmons

Hi Stanley,

As you know, it's been a dismal year for the music industry and unfortunately, our company's not been able to escape the pinch of the financial crisis. We have seen many changes over the past year.  However, things are starting to look a lot better and the board feels that it is high time we let everyone in the organization know that despite the turbulent year, we have weathered the storm and for the most part remained in a fairly stable position.

I'm sure you'd agree that your team in particular has been feeling somewhat demotivated, especially since witnessing other teams having their numbers reduced over this period; they have been concerned that their department could be next. Yet through all of this they have all pulled together and overcome many obstacles by continuing to create a high quality product through a very difficult time.

Please let them know that we feel their contribution has been enormous and that once this crisis is completely out of the way, we are going to start growing bigger as a company and, from that point I promise that the sky's the limit for them in respect of career path and job opportunity.

We have been reviewing our options and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure all of you that by this time next year, all of your anxieties and problems will have been resolved and you will be asking yourselves why you were so worried.

Regards,

Henry

CEO

Elemental Records

Motivational phrases

Unpredictable and challenging times can be described as turbulent. Hopefully, your team will pull together to get through such times of crisis.

After a turbulent year, I'd like to thank you all for your untiring efforts.

I'm proud of the way this department really pulled together during the merger.

We use several idioms to describe companies or teams which successfully come through a difficult period.

This financial year has been challenging, but together we have weathered the storm.
We've had to overcome many obstacles, but finally, the product is ready.
I want to congratulate you all on working to escape the pinch of the recession.

Once your company has returned to a stable position, talk about the future. If it's likely to be better, say so. Note that the strongest expression below is the sky's the limit, which means there is enormous promise for the future.

Thanks to your positive contributions, the company is now in a stable position.
I can confidently say things are looking brighter for the entire industry.
Things are looking up for us; we've just received some very positive sales figures!
If you continue this upward trend, the sky's the limit in terms of budget.

The sky's the limit in terms of where we can launch our product.
With work, we've escaped the pinch of last year's financial difficulties.
I'm pleased to announce we're now in a stable position.
Together, we have weathered the storm.
I'm inspired by the way you pulled together on this.
Things are looking up now that our client base has expanded. 

Positive 

the sky's the limit 
pulled together 
a stable position
to look a lot better
weather the storm

Negative  

a turbulent year
many obstacles
financial crisis

1. As you know, it's been a dismal year for the music industry and unfortunately, our company's not been able to escape the pinch of the financial crisis.

2. The board feels that it is high time we let everyone in the organization know that despite the turbulent year , we have weathered the storm.

3. I'm sure you'd agree that your team in particular has been feeling somewhat demotivated. Yet through all of this they have allpulled together and overcome many obstacles …

4. We are going to start growing bigger as a company and, from that point I promise that the sky's the limit for them in respect of career path and job opportunity.

2. REVIEWING CHANGES

We have seen many changes over the past year.

Please let them know that we feel their contribution has been enormous

We have been reviewing our options

...by this time next year, all of your anxieties and problems will have been resolved

Reviewing change

Sometimes you may want to review positive and negative developments for your company. Hopefully, you'll be able to contrast past difficulty with present and future improvement.

The decrease in funding has caused some anxiety.

Things are starting to look a lot better.

Thanks to your luck and perseverance, we are starting to see some change.

Discuss details of the changes. To review options is to think about what you can do to find solutions and have problems resolved. An enormous contribution is a significant effort or large amount of work.

We'll go into more detail on strategy and review options at the AGM.

As we move into the new financial year, we're seeing these problems resolved.

I want to thank you all for your enormous contribution in keeping us afloat.

With hard work and motivation, we are finally starting to see some change.

Please let them know that we feel their contribution has been enormous. 

Poor sales figures have caused some anxiety about the future. 

However, things are starting to look a lot better. 

JOSHUA: What a month! I just wanted to check in and see how you think your team are doing. I realize that some recent problems and the resulting decrease in sales have been causing some anxiety .

REBECCA: Well, yes. It's been a challenge to keep everyone motivated, that's for sure. But I looked at the figures this morning. They seem better already! It's great to see some change .

JOSHUA: Yep, things are looking up. And you know, that's partly due to your team's enormous contribution .

REBECCA: Thanks! So, what's our next move?

JOSHUA: Well, that hasn't been decided yet. There are one or two different ways we could go. I'd actually really like to get some input from you and your team on which choice is best. Let's all meet, your people included, and review our options .

3. REASSURING YOUR TEAM

Reassuring your team

Reassure your team with positive predictions.

After the presentation tomorrow, your fears will have been resolved.

When you see our market predictions, you will be asking yourselves why you were so worried.

Encourage confidence with a personal assurance.

I promise that all the overtime you've put in will make a difference.

I'd like to take this opportunity to reassure all of you that the crisis is over.

Ensure your team knows you believe in what you are saying.

I have full confidence in our ability to pull ourselves out of this financial slump.

Recognizing past challenges 
We have weathered the storm.

You have all pulled together.

Reassuring about the future

You'll ask yourselves why you were so worried.
I promise them that the sky's the limit.
I want to take this opportunity to reassure you.

 

Guys, I've just received a very motivating email from our CEO. From his message, I can tell Henry has great confidence in us as a team, as well as in the company's future. I'd like to take this opportunity to reassure all of you that he understands how challenging and indeed demotivating this past year has been, and that he anticipates that, by next year, all major problems will have been resolved .

In particular, he asked me to let you know that he's noticed your enormous contribution during these difficult times. You know, after this email, I feel your jobs are not only secure but are going to lead to even greater opportunities in the future. As Henry wrote, at this time next year, you will beasking yourselves why you were so worried! This sounds like a bold claim, but, personally, I feel good about getting there. Things are going to keep getting better – I can promise you that.

IV. WRITING A PERFORMANCE REVIEW 

1. ORGANIZING A PERFORMANCE REVIEW


General performance

Justine Snow has been, without doubt, a consistent star performer in the sales and marketing department since she started with the company. She is a perfectionist, and, because of this, she will go the extra mile to ensure accurate analysis. When it comes to finding solutions to complex problems, she has raised the bar in terms of incisive thinking.  She is an exemplary employee.

 Key achievements

Justine's creative approach to our software has provided Falcone with exceptional new resources. After consulting with her manager, she developed new programs to measure the efficiency of our online advertising campaigns. These proved to be so accurate and reliable that her line manager promoted her to senior media research analyst although she'd only been with us for a short time.

 Areas for improvement

Justine's weaknesses lie in two key areas: time keeping and delegating. Even though she is a conscientious worker, she sometimes struggles to keep to deadlines. Therefore, her entire team occasionally falls behind schedule. With regard to delegating, Justine fails to distribute work evenly among her team, often taking on more work personally than is pragmatic.

 Goals

I would like to set the following two goals for Justine.

 First, that she keeps an online team schedule, and updates it regularly.

Second, that at the beginning of a task, she draws up a plan for a logical system of delegation based on employee availability, experience and proficiency.

 Meeting these goals will ensure Justine is working to her fullest potential.

Performance review subtitles

A performance review documents and evaluates an employee's work. This usually includes an overview of the employee's work.

Her general performance has been consistently productive.

Performance reviews often highlight the best points and biggest successes of an employee's work.

Susan's logo design, now used nationwide, remains one of her key achievements. Provide targets for the employee to work toward. These are often decided between the supervisor and employee.   Marcus's areas for improvement include teamwork and communication.   Performance reviews also identify weaknesses that the employee should try to improve.   In terms of goals, Sam should really focus on improving his proofreading.   Every company has different performance review forms, but the expressions above are widely used to organize a performance review into logical sections. General performance Cristina is one of our most consistent employees. Areas for improvement Mark has said he isn't confident using technology. Key achievements Linda secured two major contracts in March. Goals This year, Sophie will improve her written communication.

1. Key achievements

John played a significant role in retaining our existing contracts. John also made important contributions to our company securing the Selby Tires account.

2. Goals

Effective immediately, I would like John to follow up all his client meetings with brief, informal reports to be emailed to his department head. This will assist him in keeping lines of communication open.

3. General performance

John is a consistent team player who can always be relied upon to achieve results. His positive attitude and humor make him a well-liked member of the team.

4. Areas for improvement

At times, John has struggled with consistently communicating work progress. This is especially evident in terms of keeping the department head up-to-date with client meetings.

2. ANALYZING A PERFORMANCE REVIEW

conscientious
efficiency
without doubt
go the extra mile
potential
exemplary
reliable
raise the bar

1. Justine has been, without doubt , a consistent star performer in the sales and marketing department since she started with the company.

2. She is a perfectionist, and, because of this, she will go the extra mile to ensure accurate analysis. 

3. When it comes to finding solutions to complex problems, she has raised the bar in terms of incisive thinking.  

4. Even though she is a conscientious worker, she struggles to keep to deadlines. 

5. Justine has shown great potential to move into a managing role. 

6. After consulting with her manager, she developed new programs to measure the efficiency of our online advertising campaigns. 

a reliable employee - someone who always meets deadlines

person shows potential - a new employee who has many interesting ideas

most conscientious - someone who is thorough and detailed

person shows the most efficiency - someone who reaches the goals using only the resources assigned

3. DESCRIBING GOOD WORK 

exceptional
logical
pragmatic
accurate
creative

Logical connectors

Connecting words are useful for structuring your speech logically. Use the highlighted words below to indicate contrast. Note that they have the same meaning.

Even though he has limited experience, he shows great potential.

Although the market hasn't been good, her sales have been exceptional.

Use therefore to mean 'for this reason.'

She works in a large team. Therefore, strong communication skills are key.

Use since to show something began at a specific time. Note that it can also mean 'because.'

Since his promotion last year, he's proven to be a pragmatic and logical employee. Jane has interesting and unique ideas = Jane is a creative thinker. Jane's work is unusually good = Jane produces exceptional work. How long Jane has been in the company = Jane has performed well since she joined us two years ago. Jane finds practical solutions = Jane is pragmatic. Jane's work never has errors = Jane's work is consistently accurate Marianne is wasteful with resources, even though she meets deadlines. Harry is always thorough and ensures all details are accurate. In the future, a more pragmatic use of time and materials is advised. Marianne has generated lucrative sales since she joined us four years ago.Because of her exceptional record, she's been promoted twice.   1. Key achievements Although  Toby only joined us three years ago, he has received two industry awards for his advertisements.H is ideas have resulted in some truly exceptional work – making him the only employee to have wonawards two years in a row. 2. Areas for improvement Even though he's a valuable employee, Toby has issues finding the most  pragmatic solution. Sometimes, he needs to focus on what is practical, and not what is most imaginative or creative  .