Please Read This Before You Fire Someone

A sudden death can make us focus on the important stuff

A few years ago, I had just started a new job, and my boss told me my first task was to fire two people from my team. I was never confronted with a situation like this before, and I hated it.

I refused (I had just started and didn’t know my team yet) but was instead forced to witness how he, himself, fired the two workers. One of them died just a few months after that.

Although there was not a clear relationship between both things (the firing and the death), I felt deep emotional pain during the following months.

Was it right what I did? Should I have done something differently?

At the time of his firing, he had appeared on the cover of the company’s magazine, playing happily with his kid during “children’s day” a few weeks before, and I had this issue near my desk.

Every look at it tortured me. I was overwhelmed by guilt.

Now, it seems that a crucial point here is: was his dismissal fair?

I think that’s not the main issue.

Death helps us focus.

The main point is that an extreme situation can make you think about ensuring that your actions are fair.

I know that getting fired from a job is something that happens, and in many cases, justifiably so.

But I also tend to give people second and third chances, even before that event.

Am I wrong in doing so? Maybe.

Sometimes I make mistakes, and I regret them.

However, I tend to believe that when someone is not performing at their best, it’s probably because they’re doing something they don’t like and are not suited to do it efficiently.

That’s not always the case, but when in doubt, I try to find out and fix it.

Fire them!

This sort of situation happened to me more than once in my life.

For example, later on, I was suggested to dismiss two more people at the same company.

The suggestions, to my surprise, came from different areas: other departments of the company, co-workers, and people that outranked me.

“Get them off your back.”

However, this time I knew better, and I managed the situation differently.

Not only did I keep them on the team, but I also helped them grow until, eventually, they became two of the most valuable members of it.

The problem with layoffs

A person whom many seem to want to fire is an enigma to me. An answer to be found.

Why?

Why do they want to fire them?

My experience is that often the problem is “the position on the field.”

That is, it is a player who is not in the position they should be in.

Of course, some people are simply not up to the task. That happens too.

But frequently, corporate myopia creates a problem and blames the person who suffers from it.

Someone who is poorly positioned “on the field” (in the position they should be working in) will perform well below their potential.

And unfortunately, they may pay with their dismissal for the mistakes others have made.

On the other hand, finding the place in which a person performs best is not only an inexhaustible source of productivity, it is also great personal satisfaction.

How many times can you do something in a job that is incredibly efficient and incredibly satisfying at the same time?

That’s why I don’t understand why it’s such an under-practiced art in business.

Maybe it’s because it requires a mix of intuition and getting to know each person.

A genuine interest and appreciation for each person’s capabilities.

Doing both is simple. But it is not easy.

How to understand and appreciate any person in a job

I found that these four things are extremely useful when it comes to knowing your team members and helping them find the best role for their skills

1- Give every person the space to tell you, honestly and without fear, what they like or dislike about their current tasks.

Many people fear to say that they don’t like what they do for fear of consequences.

But in those honest words -if you manage to get them- you can find a player in the wrong position.

Someone hating a job is hardly a high performer.

2- Remember that everybody is good at something. At least in relative terms: you are better at some things than others.

Observe and ask to find out what tasks and processes people are relatively better at.

3- Engage with people directly to talk about possibilities for changing tasks or functions in their job.

You might get surprised by the positive response you’ll receive.

4- Every employee who worked for more than two years in a company has a few ideas about solving recurrent problems in products or processes. Ask them about it.

Allow them to speak out. This will give you hints about the employee’s preferences and stronger skills.

These are just some ideas among many approaches and tools that aim for the same goal.

Ultimately, knowing your people and leading a team is an art, not a science.

One that is worth learning.