People problems don’t get better with time. Know when it’s time to change the team.
While nurturing your team is most often a function of supporting and empowering team members, sometimes team nurturing requires changing its members. No matter how diligent you are with hiring, somewhere along the line someone will make it onto the team who is not a good fit, and you will have to take action. It’s not easy to look someone in the eye and let him know he is not performing well, and you are going to make a change. Since it’s difficult, it’s tempting to delay action.
I worked with a leader who often said people problems do not get better with time. And he was right. I can’t think of a time where not addressing poor performance rectified itself. I have seen numerous times where candid, forthright coaching with clear expectations and direction led someone to improve his performance to a satisfactory level. Consistent, ongoing feedback provides people with the opportunity to improve and, therefore, improve the team. Holding back on difficult conversations helps no one.
For times when it’s clear your associate’s performance is not improving, you must act. An individual’s poor performance impacts other team members, as well, often placing unwarranted work on them and creating stress in relationships. When you do have to act, how you act is as important as the fact you acted. Remember, team members speak with one another about everything. If you are heavy-handed, callous, or even disinterested, associates will know. Three questions can assist in balancing your approach to exiting someone from the organization:
- What strengths does this person have?
- What if it were me?
- How will I respond to possible reactions?
The first question is intended to steady the conversation. When someone hears he is being released, strong emotions undoubtedly will arise. Disbelief, anger, tears, fear, self-doubt may all creep into the conversation in rapid succession. If the person shuts down, he will miss important information you are providing. Providing a balanced view can help the person adjust to the message and to hear you. Everyone has strengths. They may just not be the right strengths for the position the person is in. Share a few of the person’s strengths while providing feedback on his gaps and why those are vital for success. Unless you are looking to completely demoralize someone, it is good practice to grant him the peace of mind of knowing you do not consider him entirely without skill and merit.
The second question is intended to invoke empathy. Put yourself in the shoes of the person you are firing and think about how you would want to be treated if it were you. In this scenario, what does respect look like to you? What words would you want to hear and in what way? What tone would you expect? What level of dialog and ability to respond would you desire? Running through your expectations and reflecting on how you would like to be treated in a situation like this shapes your actions in the moment. Undoubtedly, a few considerations are universal. If it were us, we would want the person to be
- honest
- specific
- clear
- empathetic
- balanced
- understanding
- focused on what is good for us as well as the company
There may be other considerations, but at a minimum, if we were receiving the difficult message wouldn’t we want these things? Grant them to the person you are terminating. For someone to accept your message, he needs specificity that is clear and comes across as balanced, honest feedback from an empathetic messenger who understands what the person is feeling. It will help him accept your decision and will build your legacy as a compassionate leader.
The third question is intended to prepare you for possible reactions. It’s impossible to know how someone might react to bad news, so it is best to prepare. How you respond to the person’s reaction is as important as his reaction. You may unintentionally escalate the situation or speak inappropriately in the heat of the moment. Or you may begin to back off your message and create ambiguity where clarity had existed. Think through potential reactions you may encounter and prepare your responses to those before meeting. Be calm. Let the person speak. Listen. Be straight forward and consistent in your responses. Stick to your message. Don’t back down. These are not discussions to practice your ad libbing skills.
Share your thoughts below.
How have you prepared for terminating an employee? What response did you receive?
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