Sheenah Hankin

appeared in: Business to Business Magazine

Having to dismiss staff, for whatever reason, is one of the most difficult jobs a manager las to face. Sheenah Hankin Ph.D. and Richard Wessler Ph.D. both leading New York based psychologists and Business to Business Contributors explain how to make the process a little less daunting.

Successful firing results when an employee loses a job but not self-respect and a manager feels comfortable and relieved, but not angry and guilty. You Know it’s time to let someone go when you either have too many personnel or a specific employee is simply not doing the job to your satisfaction. It’s always the manager’s responsibilty to terminate the employee in a timely fashion. Mangagers avoid firing if they have misplaced optismism that business conditions will improve and the employee will be needed or that the employee will turn around and become more productive. When neither appears imminent it’s time for a change.

Make a Rational Decision Not an Emotional One. An emotional decision is poorly thought out and often ineffective. If the decision is based on anger (I am mad at this person because he or she deliberately does not do a good enough job). Impulsively acting an emontion could cause you to overlook the following questions.

1. Are my expectations of this person and the job description resonable?
2. Did I train, check up on and generaly manage this person persistently enough to ensure that he or she could achieve their full potential?
3. Was I honest about my dissatisfaction with this person’s work and work habits and said so in a timely and respectful fashion?

If you have three YES answers the decision to fire is good for the business for the person who is losing the job and for you.

if you have any NO answers there is a glitch in your management style and you are liekly to face a high turnover of employees at great expense to your business.

How to Fire Respectfully.

Anixiety and guilt are emotions a manager may feel when it is time to fire an employee. Anxiety (or fear) results from anticipation that the employee will either be furious and insult you, or be devastated and hurt you will feel self-critical or guilty as a result.

Guilt is generated by the belief that you have done something wrong. There may also be self-critism for having hired the wrong person of for failing to manage him or her better. Alleviate guilt by recognising that this wll thought out decision is right for your business and that it is appropriate to feel guilty for disappointing others when it is unavoidable. People who avoid being honest which at times upsets others, are usually quietly stewing in their own anger. It is right, not wrong for an employee to move on to a more satisfying job.

So, calm your feelings and proceed to the termination meeting. Here are some simple guidelines to ensure that the process is respectful.

1. Do not blame the employee. Point out that there is a poor fit between the person’s skills (not the person) and the job description.
2. If the employee promises to do better do not cave in. Say “I have confidence that you can find a position that suits you better” but I do not believe that we can achieve the fit I need in this position, in our company”.
3. If the employee gets angry so not match his or her emotion by getting angry also. Remember that anger pulls anger. say instead “please dont’d raise your voice, I know this is hard for ou but there is nothing to be gained by blaming anyone” If the employee does not stop, ask him or her to leave your office and come back later when he or she is calmer.
4. If the employee is distressed, or if you have an indication that he or shee is very sensitive and likely to cry, have a colleague of the employee on hand to give comfort.
5. Do not make any extra concessions, such as giving the person extra time to look for a job, more severance pay or offers to help him or her find other work that you are not liekly to follow up on. Decide what you are willing and able to do prior to the meeting and stick to what you decide. Decisions made for guilty reasons are rarely rational and effective.