The best way to give your boss bad news is early, before you have the fix, because bosses can handle bad news but not surprises. In 2006, Ford's top leaders put up green status charts every single week while the company was on its way to a seventeen billion dollar loss. Then one executive put up the first red chart, and what his new CEO did next changed the company. Colby Morris walks through that moment, then tells the story of bringing a founder the news that his favorite idea could not happen, how that founder reacted in the next few minutes, and how they got him moving again. You will hear why "bring me solutions, not problems" might be the reason you are still quiet, and what to say in the first fifteen seconds of that conversation. Episode Reference Guide "Your boss can handle bad news. What your boss can't handle is a surprise." Colby Morris "Your boss will match your temperature. It just might take a few minutes." Colby Morris What is the Slingshot framework for giving bad news? The Slingshot is a four-move framework created by Colby Morris for delivering bad news to a boss, a founder, or a board without turning it into a surprise. Bad news pulls people back. Handled well, that same tension launches them into the next step. The four moves are: Check it before you bring it.Bring it before it's real.Be the calm in the room.Point it forward.Why do managers sit on bad news instead of telling their boss? Most managers wait because they want to show up with a plan, because the timing never feels right, or because they dread the boss's reaction. Many were also taught to never bring a problem without a solution. Colby explains when that rule helps, when it keeps your biggest problems hidden, and how to tell which one you are in. When should you tell your boss bad news? As soon as you know what is actually true, which is usually well before you know how to fix it. The episode covers how fast to check the facts, what to say when you ask for the conversation, and the one sentence you can use even when you have zero answers yet. What if your boss reacts badly, or the bad news is your fault? A boss's first reaction is rarely the final answer. Colby walks through how to stay steady while it plays out, what not to do when the reaction scares you, and how to handle it when the red on the chart has your own name on it. How do you bring bad news up during an acquisition or leadership change? When a company has just been bought or a founder has just left, everyone above you wants to hear green. Colby speaks directly to the manager underneath the change about why the red you can see matters even more in that season. Research and stories referenced Alan Mulally and Mark Fields at Ford's weekly business plan review, 2006. Fields on Ford's culture at the time: "We had a culture where, if you reported bad news, you were done." Sources: Bloomberg Businessweek, "Ford's Slow-Motion CEO Succession Plan" (November 2012); Fortune, "The 'tipping point' in Ford's turnaround" (December 2010).Adam Grant on "bring me solutions, not problems," Nordic Business Forum, 2017: "If you have a culture where people can only speak up when they have a solution, you will never hear about your biggest problems that are too complex for anyone to solve alone."Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler on sharing a tough message by starting with your facts, from Crucial Conversations.Resources mentioned Originals by Adam GrantCrucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al SwitzlerThe Slingshot framework by Colby MorrisRelated episodes Why Your Team Stopped Telling You the Truth (The Feedback Blackout) (the boss's side of this: why honest information stops flowing up)Leading Through Bad News: How to Lead with Clarity, Compassion, and Trust (giving bad news down to your team)How to Disagree With Your Boss (Without Getting Fired)Your Boss Isn't Ignoring You. They're Just Not Hearing You.Bad Decision or Bad Luck? What to Do When Your Call Isn't WorkingConnect with Colby Colby Morris is the Founder of NXT Step Advisors, offering executive coaching, leadership training, keynotes, and fractional operating leadership for founder-led and PE-backed companies. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorrisWebsite: NXTStepAdvisors.comSupport the show Colby's LinkedIn ProfileNXTStepAdvisors.com