It's not the good news that matters.
Now, I realize that we all work to create good news. We strive for raises, promotions, praise, and profitability. We want our team to win, and so on.
But consider a world that produced only good news.
We'd get bored. The very thought of relentless good news is enough to make us yawn.
So, we need bad news.
Here's why.
1) It teaches lessons.
Bad news happens because people made mistakes. If we pay attention, we can learn how to avoid making the same mistakes.
2) It inspires action.
Bad news is so offensive that it motivates people to prevent recurrences. So, we build things, invent systems, and start organizations. Every noble effort was launched by someone who was disturbed by bad news.
3) It sets boundaries.
Bad news is reality in action. It shows the result of going too far, ignoring basic principles, and failing to follow common sense. So, bad news serves to contain the extremes of human behavior.
Of course, no one wants to be the object of bad news. This is a form of excitement that we prefer to leave for others.
We'd much rather be the object of good news.
That's easy to accomplish, too. All we have to do is work hard, make ethical choices, learn new skills, and apply common sense.
Key Point: Bad news is useful, as long as we learn something from it.
Much success,
Steve Kaye
714-528-1300
PS: My workshops show leaders how to create good news.
Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator
Steve Kaye
Professional Speaker and Photographer
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See: Steve’s Web Site
(Dozens of articles, more than 600 photos, and 165 blog posts)
