3 Facts to Face When You Fire an Employee - The Muse

3 Facts to Face When You Fire an Employee - The Muse3 Facts to Face When You Fire an EmployeeFor even the best leaders, nothing puts a knot in their stomachs like having to fire someone. Even when the employee deserves it, taking someones job away is among the hardest tasks any leader has to do. First off, firing someone should bother you Its a sign that you have a heart and can have empathy for the people who work for you. After all, youre about to upend someones world. Any boss worth their salt is both strong enough to conduct a firing, and human enough to understand how upsetting being fired can be. Heres the good news many successful people find success after being fired. Years later, they may look back on the incident as a pivotal moment in their careers. But even knowing this doesnt make it any less scary- but you can make a horrible situation a little bit less so by taking a few tips from some of my clients, experienced leaders who anguished over their first firing. 1. Stick t o the FactsAs much as they wanted to make the firing a casual, personal conversation, most leaders report that when they tried that, it didnt work. Your job is to inform the employee whats happening, what they can (and should) expect, and why theyre losing their job. This will help them start the process of letting go and looking ahead. Nothing makes this already tough conversation harder than a wishy-washy manager who is preoccupied with trying to cushion the landing. Saying something like, Were going to have to let you go for failure to meet minimum performance requirements may feel harsh, but its a lot more honest and clear than saying, I can tell youve really been trying to learn the job and I wished we were in a position to let you keep learning, but were going to have to make some changes that will impact you. Give the person credit for having a brain, and tell them what they need to know. If the roles were reversed, youd want someone to tell it to you straight.2. Remember Tha t Feeling Guilty Doesnt Mean You Are to BlameYou have made a decision that just disrupted someones life. Now, theyre going to have to do all the work associated with a job search. Theyll have to say goodbye to friends and verstndigung im strafverfahren with the feelings they have about being fired. Itll be a change, and no one looks forward to any of these things, but all of these steps are tolerable. Youre not to blame for them needing to take these steps . Your role was to be their boss and manage their performance. It was their responsibility to do their job and meet expectations. That part of the equation- whether they did or didnt meet job requirements- is on them, not you. Sometimes its your peers wholl make you feel bad when they second-guess you with a statement like I had no idea you were having problems with her. She couldve been a great asset in my department- if youd told me. Remember, opinions are a dime a dozen You did what made the most sense for your team. 3. Know Yo ur Relationship(s) Will Change the Moment You Fire ThemBe prepared to feel anger (and at the very least, disapproval) from the person you fire as well as from their friends or associates. And not just in the short term, but the long term as well- its very possible that youll run into this person in the future and he or she will not be excited to landsee you. But remember Your goal shouldnt be to be BFFs with your employees. It should be about earning their respect through fairness, honesty, competence, and consistency.At the same time, youre only human. And its hard to see an employee go through something difficult. But just like it isnt your fault, it also isnt your place to solve the problem. Staying calm- even in the face of an intense emotional reaction- isnt just the professional thing to do, its also the most helpful.Additionally, dont try to make yourself look better by throwing others under the bus. Phrases like It wasnt my call or If it were up to me just confuse people. (T hey dont bring any additional comfort.) If youre firing someone, own it. Losing your job is hard enough- being fired and not knowing who made the decision or why it happened is worse. If you are accountable for the performance of others, its likely youll have to let someone go at some point. And yes, just about everyone who has been fired remembers that day its locked in their memory. Treat the event and the person with humility, respect and compassion. You cant predict or control exactly how the firing will affect someone else, but you can control how you act, and your measured approach can make it a less stressful experience for you both.Photo of a conversation courtesy of annebaek/Getty Images.