Don't shoot the messenger
When receiving bad news from others
Understanding the Rule
Don't punish people for delivering bad news they didn't cause. Killing messengers discourages honest communication and prevents you from learning about problems early.
What Happens When You Break It
Shooting messengers creates information blackouts, prevents early problem detection, trains people to hide issues, and ensures being blindsided by preventable disasters.
Benefits of Following This Rule
Protecting messengers encourages honest communication, enables early problem detection, builds trust, creates transparency, and allows fixing issues before they escalate.