Communicating Failure

I have been thinking about this topic for a while. I was reflecting on a few episodes in my professional career, and wondered if it would have been helpful if my leader/manager had proactively mentored me on my approach in communicating a project delay or a failure in hitting some objective or mission. When we encounter failure in our professional lives, it can be tempting to hide or ignore it. However, communicating failure is a crucial aspect of being an effective and responsible professional. In any case, I wanted to share my perspectives using the 4 W's and 1 H.

Who should we communicate the failure to? It's important to identify the stakeholders who will be impacted by the failure and need to be informed. You should also consider the people that you need to help turn the situation around.

What exactly happened? Be transparent and honest about what happened and the impact it will have on the project or stakeholders. Avoid sugarcoating the situation or shifting blame onto others. This is typically the most difficult aspect, and it often depends on the work culture. Some of these sessions could turn into inquisitions, and it is important to be able to outline the situation objectively, so that the session can be focused on solutions.

When should we communicate the failure? Timing is key. Don't wait too long to communicate the failure. It is often tempting to wait too long, for either the situation to improve, or to solve it on your own. This is often a judgement call. If you think there is a fairly good chance that the failure could have larger impact, you should communicate it as soon as possible. But do spend some time outlining possible solutions as well, as that will be important to demonstrate the ability to learn from the situation.

Where should we communicate the failure? Should it be in person, over the phone, or via email? Choose a method that will allow for open and honest communication. Setting also matters depending on the size of the audience. Pick a setting that allows for the right level of engagement.

How should we communicate the failure? Be clear and concise when communicating the failure. Take responsibility for any mistakes and offer potential solutions for moving forward. Be open to feedback and willing to learn from the experience. Remind yourself not to get defensive. That's often challenging but also critical on being able to communicate the failure clearly and getting into the mode of problem solving.

From my experience, communicating failure is an essential part of being a professional. People often worry too much about how they will be judged, and too little about the potential consequences when you either delay the communication or attempt to down-play the failure. There are also elements of corporate or company culture that come into play, but that should influence the approach to communicating, but not influence the need.