In my family we have a long standing tradition of delivering bad news with the phrase, “Everybody’s fine…but…” It serves to prepare the listener that something is perhaps amiss, while at the same time immediately dispelling their darkest fears.
How did this start? Well, it all started with a train ride.
One summer, my parents decided my sister and I should spend more time with my grandparents. So once a week we would hop the little commuter train in Cape May Court House, N.J., and ride an hour or two to my grandparents’ house. We’d spend the day and come back in the afternoon.
One day, our train hit a dump truck trying to beat the crossing lights. The crash ripped open the front of the train and a conductor (I’m told) had a gash on his head but other than that everyone was fine. All the passengers had to get off the train and hop buses or wait for relatives to come pick them up.
My dad saw the accident on the news and went to get us. He had to call my mom and tell her what happened. Not wanting to launch into a long and terrifying story where the drama unfolds a little at a time, he decided to open with, “Katie and Sara are fine…but…”
It was a simple yet brilliant way to communicate bad news. Mom was concerned but was immediately reassured by that single sentence.
A good tip when communicating bad news to any audience: A crisis is not the time to bury your lead.
