Got bad news to deliver? Take a cue from Haagen-Dazs.

Okay, I know ice cream isn't life or death. At least not to you. But eating ice cream is pretty high on my list of things to do instead of kicking the dog or yelling at my poor husband.

But here's the point. 

Haagen-Dazs is facing pressures to cut costs, increase margins, blah,blah,blah just like the rest of us.

Rather than reducing quality, they have opted to make smaller portions (excellent idea for all of us --rethink the packaging and sizes of existing offerings).

But here's the lesson part of this little fable, they actually tell people about what they're doing. By communicating in advance, they actually gain support from their customers and re-inforce the quality element of their brand.

And with a name like that, brand is important.