Having someone else deliver bad news
Making tough decisions comes with being a leader, and a good leader owns those tough decisions. Don’t hire an outsider to lay off employees, and don’t ask your vice presidents or middle managers to relay any other sort of bad news, such as salary cuts, benefit changes or increased responsibilities. Now’s the time to be frank with your employees—they’ll respect and trust you for owning the situation. At the same time, show employees how these cuts put the business in a better position for the future.