No one likes to fire an employee. It’s uncomfortable – even distressing – depending on the circumstances. But it’s one of the realities of managing; in fact, the rest of your staff will take note of how you handle it.
Here are a few examples of what not to do based on real situations that happened to three different clients.
What is your preferred style when delivering feedback? Some people embrace opportunities to offer positive accolades for a job well done. Others are quick to criticize what didn’t work well and focus on what needs to be done differently the next time.
Both types of feedback are necessary. You need to acknowledge the good as well as offer suggestions for improvement.
Have you ever clung to an old narrative about an employee even if the circumstances have changed? For example, let’s say you reigned in a “renegade” employee six months ago and the person subsequently adapted to more moderate behavior.
In this case, the former scenario no longer exists. But you’ve recently discovered that the employee is actually underperforming because he’s following your previous directives to the letter and is timid about taking advantage of new opportunities.
Traditionally, the week after Labor Day in the U.S. signifies the return to school. This is an exciting time for students. It’s time to buy new books and fresh school supplies, get excited about seeing old friends, and return to the business of learning.
It’s a little different in the workplace. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, and after the holiday people tend to return to work with a little more focus. Goodbye to the more relaxed office environment, casual dress, and early Friday departures.
I know that summer is not over officially until the September 22, but Labor Day weekend has always been the unofficial end, otherwise known as the “cultural end” of the summer for people in the US. This year we had 14 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Did you miss it?
Too many people are afraid of making mistakes. They take the safe road and try to stay under the radar. “Good is good enough,” because if they stretch too far they may make mistakes.
Simply put, they play it safe.
Most leaders understand that procrastination can delay progress, frustrate teams, and stall decision-making. But there’s a less obvious—and often more damaging—consequence: you can actually lose something important.
Opportunities don’t sit on the shelf waiting for us to get around to them. When you delay action, the landscape can shift without warning.
Remember that old story about the lumberjack who was so busy cutting down trees that he didn’t have time to sharpen his saw? Well, that describes many leaders today. We’re so caught up in the day-to-day grind that we forget to invest in the one tool that matters most—ourselves.
Here’s the thing about leadership: what got you here won’t necessarily get you there. The skills that landed you your first management role are just the entry fee. If you want to keep growing and stay relevant, you’ve got to make learning a non-negotiable part of your routine.
We’ve all worked with that manager who’s great at their job – until they’re not. They take care of their stakeholders, make smart decisions, and their team genuinely likes them. But ask them to follow up on action items? This may prove to be a bigger challenge than you ever imagined.
This creates a weird coaching dilemma. When someone’s performing well in 80% of their role, it’s tempting to overlook that troublesome 20%. The manager thinks their wins should balance out their misses, and honestly, leadership often agrees. After all, why rock the boat with someone who’s mostly delivering?
Some of my clients complain that their employees don’t do what is expected of them, and then ask for my help in search of the silver bullet.
The first question I ask is how they communicated the assignment. Usually this is the only necessary question, because typically the dialogue – whether spoken or written – between the manager and the employee was ineffective.