Early in my banking career, I had to communicate to a bank customer that our loan committee had declined his loan request. When I met with this customer, I thought I had delivered the bad news with gentleness.  

But the next day this customer called and asked, “So when do I pick up a check from my loan?” I groaned inwardly as I realized I now needed to communicate the bank’s decision again, more forcefully this time.  

Zechariah 8:16 teaches, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.” 

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Delivering hard news requires directness, truth, and compassion.