I have to tell you that firing someone is my least favourite thing about being a leader. In my 30 plus years in leadership, there have been a number of people I have had to let go and there were only two that I actually enjoyed. (A story for another post or a coffee with Jay).
It never gets easy. It just gets more focused and succinct with how you make the decision.
I have one simple rule I follow.
When I am putting more energy into the growth and development of the individual than they are, it’s time to bless them out of my life and my company.
It has been my experience that if you do this right and make the right decisions, this can be a fantastic opportunity for your entire team and for the individual themselves.
The expenditure of my energy must be reciprocated and marked progress must be seen in the individual.
So what are our shared responsibilities in this reciprocal relationship?
1) My role as a leader is to clearly define what I expect. It needs to be quantifiable and easy to evaluate. Their responsibility is to fulfill every single one of those expectations those expectations with exactness. I always say “100% of the standards 100% of the time”.
2) My role as a leader is simple. I must see the people in my care not as they are, but as they can become. I then must find ways to push them into their own unique growth zone with intentionality as often as I can. If they are unable to fulfil their duties, it is my responsibility as a leader to do everything in my power to teach them, provide opportunities for growth and development, and show compassion for their needs. After all, I hired them. It is my responsibility to take care of them. Their responsibility to is actively seek help. Be humble enough to be teachable and do everything in their power to seek understanding.
3) Finally, my responsibility as a leader is to be able to effectively evaluate when the individual has stopped growing and contributing to the company and to themselves. Compassion in leadership is not about “finding a place for every person”. That isn’t compassion. We all know when we are horrible at something and when a leader leaves us in that situation, it is torture. Compassion is seeing someone in pain and having a desire to relieve the pain. We can all speak about that time where we left one job we sucked at and the next place we went to we were finally able to find happiness and success. Let them go and find that place. Because obviously they aren’t finding it with you.
Remember, letting someone go can be the best thing for them. It will free them to experience something they couldn’t with you. Don’t be afraid to terminate. But do it because you have done everything you can do to assist and the energy is not being reciprocated.
