"There
is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” even
for involuntary termination of employment more commonly referred to as being
fired or, depending on your viewpoint, freed.
One of my golden rules echoes the Biblical sentiment. Do not fire on or around birthdays or major
holidays. This seemingly simple guideline of compassion is mutually
beneficial. Aside from saving the
employee from indelible, horrible associations with what should otherwise be a
happy day, this prevents a significant disservice to the company. Persons who are fired proximate to a day
which is supposed to be celebratory are likely to forever hold the “terminator”
and company in ill-will and share it very loudly with family and friends as
they gather on those holidays.
Timing is also factor even with employees who are suspected of or known to be lying, cheating and/or stealing because the company needs to prepare appropriately, i.e. have security notified, minimize disruption to the work day, make sure all relevant systems are backed up and the like. Every employer should have an “exit checklist” to prepare, at least logistically, for the execution (pun intended). [ I know too many firms which still do not know that they’ve lost equipment to former employees.]
And timing is again a factor because it helps us solidify why we’re
taking this step and what we want its aftermath to be. Here’s my checklist:
·
Look inwards. Look
in the mirror. Understand the real reasons behind the decision and understand
the emotional implications, on ourselves and the person we’re putting out of
work. Have all viable courses of action
been explored? For example, in the case of an underperformer or disgruntled
employee, has a meeting which opens with a genuine inquiry into the employee’s
happiness occurred? I like to inquire “Do you like what you’re doing? How can I
help you do your job better?” Is it
possible the employee is not productive because, for example, they don’t know
what’s expected of them? Perhaps someone or something is inhibiting their
progress and they can’t get past it on their own. Perhaps they are passionate
about something else and would prefer to be doing that (and likely be fantastically
more productive at it).
I promise these
conversations are worthwhile. Some of
the sincere, gentle-yet-probing discussions I’ve had have yielded insights that
utterly changed my perception and enabled me to improve entire units and ways
of working. It’s also been a pleasant
surprise to see how working to resolve initial personality clashes at work has
sometimes led to stronger, superior working relationships; in fact, these are
the relationships that usually continue even when the individuals are at
separate places of work .
Always, always, always
remember to summarize in writing these conversations which ensures the re-alignment
of expectations and, if relevant, offers an opportunity for repentance. This
ties into another of my golden rules: The End should not come as a
surprise. As good managers, our practice
should be to share our feelings about our subordinates’ success (or lack
thereof) on a regular basis such that if/when The Break Up occurs, it is not a
surprise. [If it is, we need to work on our management skills.]
·
Look outwards. What
do our trusted advisors recommend? What are the mumblings from the field? In
“How To Become A Great Boss,” a must-read book for all managers and aspiring
managers, Jeffrey Fox insists that “everyone that works with the underperformer
[or insert the appropriate descriptive here] knows it. The longer the boss
delays in taking action, the more the other employees question the boss’s
competency.” Accordingly, a good manager understands that this course of action
is best for all involved- the employee in question who will hopefully move onto
better pastures, the other employees, the company, the client and, of course,
the manager, who will then have a more cohesive, happy and productive team.
·
Look onwards. Negative
people are like cancer. They insidiously
overtake and destroy their surroundings.
A manager has a duty to keep his/her employees happy (read: motivated
and therefore productive) and the reverse is equally applicable! A good
employee should delight in pleasing the boss.
A timely termination can facilitate a return to a positive, productive
work environment.
