As you learned in the previous module, delivering bad news requires communicating honestly and directly, but also effectively. Communicating negative information or giving feedback to an employee is e

As you learned in the previous module, delivering bad news requires communicating honestly and directly, but also effectively. Communicating negative information or giving feedback to an employee is especially important for both the employee’s as well as the organization’s morale.

Review the following scenario:

   Nancy Douglas is an assistant accountant for the hardware division of Crothwall and Associates—an IT company founded in 1997 and currently worth five billion dollars. The company conducts performance appraisals twice a year. Nancy has worked for the company for a year and a half and has received a B grade on her performance for both the appraisal cycles. After her second appraisal, Nancy had made a ten-thousand-dollar accounting mistake. Nancy takes an hour to commute to work and is a single parent. She has two children, ages three and six, and is on medication for insomnia. Assume that you are an assistant HR manager at Crothwall and Associates. You need to inform Nancy that she has received a C grade on her performance after the third appraisal and this is her only opportunity to improve the quality of her work.