Rip Off the Band-Aid!

Are you living as if a decision has already been made?

Is there a decision in your life or in your business that you have already “made” in your head but have not communicated or executed yet?

Let me provide an example.

Perhaps you have a disgruntled employee. Or an employee who has been overtly insubordinate. In either case, you (and your team) have probably figured out how to operate with the least amount of interaction with this employee. You have probably heard your team use phrases such as: “I’m not going to bother him,” “Its just easier if I do it myself,” “Argh, I can’t stand working with her,” or “She never responds to me anyway.” If these are phrases you have heard recently, you need to ask yourself two questions:

1.       How long have I been hearing these phrases?

2.       How many members of my team speak in this way?

If you have been hearing these phrases for a while and most of your team speaks in this way…then they have already moved on. This disgruntled or insubordinate employee is already fired “in their minds.” They are operating day-to-day as if this employee is not there. Worse, they may be frustrated at the slack (additional duties) they have to pick up and are most likely disappointed that you are putting up with this kind of unacceptable employee behavior.

So, it appears everyone else is aware of the decision that has been “already made.” Are you? Do you now recognize that you (and your team) have already made the decision to terminate this employee? If so, for the sake of your team, you now need to plan next steps.

Next steps are similar in every organization but tend to vary slightly based upon your particular HR policy and state regulations. Meet with your HR department to discuss proper termination documentation – essentially, to make sure you legally have your “ducks in a row.” If, like most small businesses, you are the HR department, then draw on your experience or research the acceptable termination practices and regulations in your state.

Once you have many of the legal/HR aspects “ironed out,” it is important to make a list of critical items and accesses that the disgruntled/insubordinate employee has. Weisbeck Consulting highly recommends you make a list of these and develop a plan to have one of your trusted employees stop access to these as soon as the disgruntled/insubordinate employee is terminated. Examples of critical items to collect immediately after the termination conversation include:  any company keys or key cards, vehicle keys, credit card(s), physical files, etc. Examples of critical access to cut off immediately include: company computer, email, server, CRM system, key vendors, financial institutions, etc.

Terminating an employee is never enjoyable for the employer or the employee. However, if you are a good leader and have had timely performance conversations with each employee, this termination should not come as a surprise. In fact, it may be a relief for you, your team, and the terminated employee. No one enjoys underperforming at work. No one enjoys tension and team discord. No one enjoys feeling like they are stuck in a job they don’t enjoy and that isn’t a good fit for them.

So as a leader, do everyone a favor and rip off the band-aid!