Have you ever used email to apologize to a colleague? Delivered a (26)_____ to a subordinate(下属)with a voice-mail message? Flown by plane across the country just to deliver important news in person? The various communication options at our fingertips today can be good for (27)_____ and productivity—and at the same time very troublesome. With so many ways to communicate, how should a manager choose the one that’s best— (28)_____ when the message to be delivered is bad or unwelcome news for the recipient? We’ve (29)_____ business communication consultants and etiquette(礼仪)experts to come up with the following guidelines for (30)_____ using the alternative ways of delivering difficult messages.
First of all, choose how personal you want to be. A face-to-face communication is the most (31)_____. Other choices, in descending order of personalization, are: a real-time phone call, a voice-mail message, a handwritten note, a typewritten letter, and the most (32)_____ is email. Some of these may change order according to the (33)_____ situation or your own preferences; for example, a handwritten note might seem more personal than voice-mail. How do you decide on the best choice for the difficult message you’ve got to deliver? “My (34)_____ concern is: How can I soften or civilize this message?” says etiquette expert Dana Casperson. “So when I apologize, I usually choose in-person first, or a phone conversation as my top alternative, and maybe a handwritten note next. Apologizing by email is something I now totally (35)_____.



