When Bad News Is Good

As I write this blog entry a major snowstorm is barreling up the eastern seaboard expecting to bring with it more than a foot of snow and high winds to the southeastern region of Pennsylvania where I live. Much of the Jersey shore will likely have even more snow and blizzard conditions. The ominous forecast has even postponed the Philadelphia Eagles home football game until Tuesday night.

Weather is a potent newsmaker, especially when the prediction is bad. Major snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or extended heat waves all attract plenty of media attention since the bad news tends to drive ratings higher. We modern humans have an insatiable appetite for information and are often most attracted to the tragic stories that accompany weather phenomenon. Let’s face it, bad news sells!

Business and community leaders frequently find themselves facing decisions that involve sharing bad news. It may be lower than expected revenue or profits, an unexpected lawsuit, a workplace accident, or employee layoffs. Sometimes in our haste to get beyond the pain of sharing the current reality we overlook the opportunity to make sense of what is happening. This generative thinking process could be a perfect response to a new challenge or a recurring problem. By reflecting on what is happening in the context of the organization’s mission we could discover new strategies and solutions that weren’t previously considered.

Denying reality in the face of bad news isn’t good for business or personal health. We can only bury our heads in the sand for a while. Eventually we must consider what has taken place, understand the story behind the problem or issue, and get busy doing something in response to our discoveries. While leaders can’t change the weather, they can alter their responses to better inform the public on what to expect and how to cope with the aftermath. They can proactively move to protect citizens by postponing major sporting events or restricting travel on major highways. Lessons can be learned, even from past mistakes, like the government’s response to the BP oil spill or Hurricane Katrina.

One of the best ways to turn bad news into a force for good is by simply asking, “What if this same event happens again?” Business and civic leaders should never let a disaster or failure go to waste. Use the bad news to foster generative thinking and become better at solving problems. Tell more stories about the positive endings that frequently accompany tragedy. Then when the next major winter storm approaches our response can be, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”