Most of the time it is emotions and empathy, not evidence and policy, that makes leaders hesitant to fire employees. Leaders, who are naturally more empathetic than others, seem to find it more challenging to terminate employees. Not only do they worry about the employee, they question whether or not they have done all they can to change the negative behavior. Even more direct and data-driven leaders, find it difficult to determine when enough is enough. To help make this decision, I have developed four key questions to help determine when to call it quits when dealing with difficult employees.
Let’s walk through these questions now.
Has the employee violated policy or consistently failed to produce? It is important that you are able to tie what you perceive to be their negative behavior to specific policy violations or specific instances in which they failed to produce the requested work product. When it comes to issues that seem less tangible like attitude or toxicity, it is important that you have core values and anti-gossip policies in place. This way, you can clearly articulate the type of values that you wish them to exhibit while working or the way in which you want to them to interact with each other when working together. You can’t let people go because you or other employees don’t like them. Working with various personalities is an opportunity for growth for you and them. But policy and procedure violations are something altogether different.
Have the expectations been made clear to the employee and provided in writing? Each employee should receive an employee handbook and be charged with carefully reviewing it and signing it an acknowledgement stating that they have read it. Even still, when the employee violates a policy, send a reminder, quoting the policy as well, to leave no doubt. Even if you have a verbal coaching session, it is important that you follow-up with an email summarizing the discussion and that all subsequent counseling or disciplinary actions are delivered in writing and in the presence of a confidential witness if possible.
Has the employee been given additional tools and coaching? In addition to providing a summary of the problem and the corrective actions, it is important that you offer additional training or coaching. Perhaps you could pair them with a mentor or cover the cost of coach or specialized training program if you believe the employee will respond favorably. Another option, which is also my favorite option, is to ask the employee what they need in order to carry out the corrective action and improve their performance. They may say that they need a little more time to catch up or they need time management training or coaching. Either way, you can give them what they need.
Are other employees aware of the issues surrounding the employees performance? This is important because what you tolerate can create a toxic culture or at the minimum lower the expectations and reduce the effort of other staff who see the behavior and notice that it is going untreated. It is so important that we address behavior quickly that is public and has a negative impact on the work environment.
If the answers, to these questions is yes, my questions would be, "Why NOT fire them? Why are you hesitant? What do you think would happen if you did? Are you concerned about their relationships with your donors or board?" If so, get ahead of it. Talk to key stakeholders. Share what has happened, what you’ve done, and what’s at stake. Typically, key stakeholders may be surprised but they will support your decision and should the employee reach out to them after the fact, they will have context for their complaint. Do not let fear of what may happen keep you from doing what needs to be done.
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