How to respond to someone's personal bad news

When someone tells you about the death of a loved one, the break-up of a relationship or the loss of a job, it can be hard enough to know what to say in your own language, let alone when you are speaking in English.

Here are some common phrases for dealing with such situations.

Showing sympathy:

• I'm so sorry*.
• I'm really sorry to hear that.
• That is /sounds really awful/terrible/tough
• Thanks for letting me know. I can only imagine how hard that must be.

 

Offering help and support:

• If there's anything I can do, please let me know.
• Please take the time and space you need.
• Would it be helpful if..............

e.g. Would it be helpful if we re-adjusted the times lines or redistributed anything?

*When a client shares a piece of bad news with me, such as they need an operation, or a parent is ill, my standard response is 'I'm so sorry'. More than once, they have looked a bit surprised and said 'it's not your fault'. Please note when used in this situation, 'I'm sorry' has no meaning of personal responsibility. Instead, it is a statement showing recognition that the other person has experienced something bad.


The phrases are also in this PDF which you can download if you would like to.