This misses the most vital component of giving bad news - seeing it from the perspective of the receiver. I've seen leaders go through all the steps listed here, and then the first question is still, "Fine, OK, but tell me precisely how that impacts <i>me</i>."<p>People do care about the whole story, but they care about themselves first. If they do not fully understand what impact the bad news will have on their daily life, you did not communicate it well.