Redundancies Are Rising - Here's How to Deliver the News Without Losing Your Humanity
Over the last five years, businesses have been stripping back their structures at a pace many leaders have never seen before. If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've found yourself in the uncomfortable seat of having to tell someone their role is at risk - or that they're leaving altogether.
Here's the first thing to hold onto: you don't have to be a dick about it.
How someone leaves a business - even under these circumstances - is one of the most important things you can influence. Not just for the employer brand (you don't want to be a place no one wants to work), but because you are a people-first leader. This situation is not a reflection on you. It's a set of circumstances you've been handed and have to manage. Make it count.
Nobody likes delivering bad news. The promotion that didn't happen. The restructure. The honest performance conversation you've been avoiding. Most of us either delay it until it festers, or we deliver it so bluntly that it does unnecessary damage.
Kim Scott, author of Radical Candour, has a better way - and it changes everything. Her argument is simple: don't choose between being kind and being honest. Real care means doing both at the same time.
The Problem Most Leaders Have
Scott's research found that well-meaning leaders most often fall into a trap she calls Ruinous Empathy: they care deeply about the person but pull their punches to avoid discomfort. The feedback gets watered down. The message gets lost. And the person walks away without what they actually needed to improve or understand.
The alternative - being blunt without warmth - is what Scott calls Obnoxious Aggression. Technically honest. Completely damaging.
The sweet spot lies in the middle: Radical Candour - caring personally while challenging directly.
What That Looks Like in Practice
Radical Candour isn't a personality type. It's a behaviour. And it can be learned.
Acknowledge the human before the message. Before you deliver the news, make brief, genuine contact. "I want to talk to you about something difficult, and I want you to know I've thought carefully about how to approach this." It takes 10 seconds. It changes the entire room.
Lead with the headline. Scott is clear: don't bury the message. Vague preambles create anxiety and confusion. Say what needs to be said early, clearly, and directly - then follow with the context.
Be specific, not general. Tough news lands better when it's grounded in facts. Instead of "this isn't working," try "in the last three months, X has happened, and here's why that matters." Specificity signals respect. It tells the person you've actually paid attention.
Name the emotion without drowning in it. You're allowed to say "this is hard for me to share" or "I imagine this might be difficult to hear." Naming the emotional weight of a conversation isn't weakness - it's honesty.
Invite response, don't just deliver a verdict. After delivering the news, pause. Ask what they're thinking. Give them room to respond. The conversation doesn't end when you finish talking.
Don't apologise for the truth. Softening a message so heavily that you apologise for it - or imply it might not be true - undermines trust. Own what you're saying. You can be kind and clear at the same time.
Be a Leader Who Actually Supports People Through This
Once the news is delivered, your job isn't done. Think about the tangible ways you can show up.
Be an ear. Let them process. Don't rush to fill the silence with solutions. Reach out to your connections - if you can open a door for them, open it. A warm introduction costs you nothing and means everything. Help them think about how to position their experience. What should they be showcasing? How can they frame their time with you positively?
This decision is not a reflection on them, and it's not a reflection on you. It's a situation you've found yourself in having to manage.
Most people desperately want honest information, even when it hurts. What they don't want is to be left in the dark, patronised, or blindsided later. The leaders who do this best aren't the ones who never feel awkward in hard conversations - they're the ones who've learned that temporary discomfort is far kinder than prolonged uncertainty.
Delivering tough news doesn't require you to become a robot. It means holding two things at once: the message that needs to be heard, and the human being in front of you. That's it.
Credit: Kim Scott, Radical Candour: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity - http://radicalcandor.com