I Hated Firing People, Then I Learned It’s About The People Who Stay

Firing people is a painful process. It sucks, and it never gets easier for most of us. At the end of the day, you’re sending fellow humans home to their families with no job. No matter who’s at fault, it’s depressing and sad.
I recall uncomfortable calls to HR expressing that I had to let someone go. I had to sift through emails and recant occurrences of poor performance. If that wasn’t stressful enough, I’d then spend time ensuring that I didn’t do anything illegal.
I struggled with balancing my compassion for people with the proper way to fire someone. How could I show empathy, but also protect the company I work for? I never knew where to draw the line.

“It Starts With Empathy… For The People, You Don’t Have To Fire. It Starts Wit Empathy… For The People, You Don’t Have To Fire. It Starts With Empathy”

Firing people is a painful process. It sucks, and it never gets easier for most of us. At the end of the day, you’re sending fellow humans home to their families with no job. No matter who’s at fault, it’s depressing and sad.
I recall uncomfortable calls to HR expressing that I had to let someone go. I had to sift through emails and recant occurrences of poor performance. If that wasn’t stressful enough, I’d then spend time ensuring that I didn’t do anything illegal.

Firing people is a painful process. It sucks, and it never gets easier for most of us. At the end of the day, you’re sending fellow humans home to their families with no job. No matter who’s at fault, it’s depressing and sad.

What Do The Studies Say?

20% of employees leave due to poor management.

They say:

The greatest benefit of replacing low performers is the new ideas and approaches that new hires would bring to the work. The greatest benefit of replacing low performers is the new ideas and approaches that new hires would bring to the work.

Here’s my list of empathetic activities every leader should take on:

• Fire poor performers.
• Correct bad attitudes or fire them too.
• Pour your heart and soul into those that work hard every day.
• Show empathy by being honest with your people. Sometimes poor performance is a matter of simple communication.