“Help! I hate firing people. How can I avoid it?”
There’s only one answer to this question, and that is: you can’t. Unfortunately.
You may run a large enough operation that you have someone handling your hiring and firing, but most of us don’t own conglomerates.
My firm belief is that firing someone, as difficult as it is, is something that you should do. It’s not easy, that’s for sure, but life isn’t easy. Remember, when your organisation employed this person, you were there. Therefore, it’s only fair to be there when you let them go.
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Firing is also not necessarily the end of a relationship, because during the time someone is working with you, a relationship is formed that can go beyond the employee/employer parameters. I have an ex-employee that left my organisation, but is now a confidante and a mentor of sorts; someone I call on when I’m stuck. .
People are fired for a myriad of reasons. It could be one substantial discipline issue or a cluster of small ones. Mistakes happen and we’re all human, but company policy may dictate that the working relationship must end.
I’ve had a number of employees leave for various reasons, only for me to call them back when a contract presents itself and I knew the person’s skillset was a complement to that particular job.
I have tried over the years not to burn bridges, even with employees that were fired.
It is not always easy and I’ve not always been successful, but I have tried based on the simple fact that you never know when you’ll need someone again. I’m not arrogant or pig-headed enough to think that I’ll never need them again.
In short, no one can possible like firing people –except perhaps for Donald Trump – but it’s a part of business and it has to be done.
People will come and go, companies and businesses develop and change. The employee of the month this month may no longer be relevant the next month. So suck it up and make it a part of your duties as CEO, MD or GM. No one says that you have to like it.
The writer is a media practitioner and business owner.
