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.
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.
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.
Picture this: You’re in a team meeting, confidently outlining next steps based on what you believe everyone agreed to last week. Suddenly, a team member speaks up: “Wait, why do you think that?” or “I never said that.” The room goes quiet. You realize you’ve been operating on assumptions that nobody else shares.
This moment—awkward as it is—reveals one of leadership’s most insidious traps: the unchallenged assumption. Leaders are paid to make decisions quickly, often with incomplete information. But when we fill knowledge gaps with assumptions and treat those assumptions as facts, we create a foundation built on quicksand.
The phrase “emotional intelligence” makes most people’s eyes glaze over. It sounds like something from a leadership seminar that everyone will forget by Friday. But the concept behind it—understanding yourself and working well with others—is crucial for any successful team.
The trick is discussing these skills without resorting to buzzwords that make people tune out.
In leadership, disagreement is inevitable. When strong minds come together, so do diverse opinions. But great leaders distinguish themselves not by avoiding conflict, but by navigating it thoughtfully to reach agreement—even on difficult issues.
At the heart of resolution is listening. Leaders who truly hear each other—without interrupting, rushing to judgment, or defending their position—build trust and clarity. Active listening creates the space for others to feel respected and heard, which in turn encourages openness and collaboration.
One of the most underrated yet powerful tools in a leader’s toolkit is clarity. When leaders clearly define roles and responsibilities, they lay the foundation for accountability, collaboration, and performance. Without this clarity, even the most talented teams can experience confusion, duplicated efforts, and misaligned priorities.
When people understand what is expected of them — and just as importantly, what isn’t — they are empowered to take ownership of their work. Clear roles help eliminate ambiguity, reduce friction between team members, and ensure that critical tasks don’t fall through the cracks. It also enables individuals to focus their energy on where they can add the most value, rather than navigating unclear expectations.