By Adam Turteltaub

Delivering bad news is never easy, especially when that news is an allegation of serious wrongdoing.  Fortunately for the rest of us, Odell Guyton, Managing Director at Klink & Co. and a co-founder of the SCCE, is willing to share his expertise in this thorny area.

As he explains in his podcast, it’s essential to have protocols in place before you have to deliver bad news.  These rules of the road should cover what will be brought to the attention of management or the board, and how the investigation will be managed.  One thing that must be delivered:  information they may need to share with the public, shareholders or the board.

Once the investigation is in process updates should be handled judiciously, and it’s important to avoid delving into the more salacious areas.

Finally, he explains how to handle – or more accurately have others handle --  any discipline that may be warranted.

Spend some time listening to his thoughts.  It could make bad news a bit easier to deliver.