OVERCOMING FEAR OF FIRING “It was obvious that this employee could not relate well to clients. But I could not bring myself to fire him.… and while I wavered, things only got worse for everyone in the department.” Having to fire someone is one of the most difficult actions any manager or executive may have to take. It is an action that many manager’s find endless excuses to avoid, as did the executive quoted above. Yet, in certain cases it is unavoidable. Firing is a managerial art that many otherwise successful supervisor’s neglect to develop.

WHEN IS FIRING APPROPRIATE? Most people take pride in and care about their job responsibilities. There are some people, however, whose pride in their job is, unfortunately, unwarranted. Others, exist who don’t think pride enters into it — that “a job’s a job” .Still others are of the belief that they deserve a job because of their circumstances, or their longevity, not necessarily because they are working up to standard. Some people genuinely need a job, but cannot do the quality of work necessary to sustain their position. When the needs of an individual staff member come into serious conflict with the needs of the group, the manager must place higher priority on the well-being of the group. The manager must look beyond the individual needs to the survival of the organization.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK: The best method for avoiding the negative consequences of the firing process involve laying the groundwork, with actions that should be taken long before the final decision to fire is made. All personnel working in an organization should know, from the day they are hired, what actions or behaviors on their part can result in their being fired. These policies should be in writing, and they should be given to all employees or posted in a conspicuous place. Employees have a right to know these ground rules. Once they know them, their responsibility to abide by them should not be subject to question at a termination.

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

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