Oh dear dear, what an email blunder...

We need some Yoda type wisdom on this issue..." wrong are you to send word by electronic means the divulging of news from the dark side !" The appalling decision by the Military to give the bad news to some soldiers of losing their jobs by email has really stirred up the whole debate about what is acceptable face to face behaviour.

When is it ever right to use email to give all types of bad news? The answer is a resounding NEVER!

There is just no substitute for the face to face interview for all these types of bad news and there never should be. It is simply an act of cowardice to do it any other way especially as cold and clinically as in an email.

With all the negative focus on the issues of dodgy wars and soldier equipment and conditions you would have thought that common sense would have told whoever made this bad decision to be careful. It was fairly obvious that it was going to be extremely bad publicity and especially at times of cuts the people in charge need all the good publicity they can get.

In my working life I have had the unenviable task of making people redundant. It is one of the hardest and most unpleasant things that a manager has to do. But the personnel involved deserve the opportunity to have a face to face interview especially about something as potentially life changing as being made redundant.

In my own case I was told of my redundancy over the phone and it was a pathetic example of cowardice by the HR division. No-one wanted to face me, to look me in the eyes and deliver the cruel blow of redundancy. So from a personal point of view I know it is hard to give and hard to take...but in life some of these situations must always be faced up to. There are inevitably going to arise disagreements and conflicts, but these are best made open and transparent and this can only be done most effectively face to face.

The Military will have to overhaul all the ways these headline grabbing procedures are managed in future if they are to start to rebuild an already shoddy image in the eyes of the public whom they serve!