This isn’t a termination. This is a reality check.
It seems as if lately I am seeing an increasing number of articles, webinars, and people standing on street corners selling seminars on terminating someone from their job.
George Clooney is even playing a guy who fires people for a living at a theatre near you. (although you would be better off seeing “Up” than “Up in the air”)
You know the seminars and articles I mean. They are the ones with titles like:
- How to terminate an employee safely
- How to avoid legal risk when doing a termination
- Successful Terminations
- How to legally terminate employees with attitude problems
Termination is not rocket science!
These classes and their ilk have a role in business, but the idea of terminating someone is being turned into something far more scary than it should be. I’m not saying just fire someone at the drop of a hat.
Where things are going wrong is that terminations are turning into events with multiple chapters, rather than business decisions. If you are doing things halfass right anywhere near correctly to begin with, a termination should normally not be that much of a surprise. It should feel and look much more like the culmination point of a series of events that were designed to prevent this final step from ever happening in the first place.
Terminate your fear
Here is what you need to do every day to be able to terminate without fear.
- Hire good managers
- Have fair rules in place
- Enforce the rules fairly
- Hold employees accountable
- Document according to the rules
- If the rules are broken enough times, and you have rached the end of the process steps
- Terminate the employee
- Go do some productive work
You will get in trouble if you fail to do the above, so don’t do that. You can pay for a class, or call a lawyer if that makes you feel better, but you shouldn’t have to that very often.
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
[New Post at The Human Race Horses] How to overcome your fear of firing http://toast.tw/100giu
Mike say, "Terminate Your Fear" RT @MikeVanDervort: New Post How 2 overcome your fear of firing http://bit.ly/6J9dY0
"Terminate Your Fear": New Post How to overcome your fear of firing http://bit.ly/6J9dY0
[New Post at The Human Race Horses] How to overcome your fear of firing http://www.thehumanracehorses.com/2010/0...
via Twitoaster
RT @MikeVanDervort: [New Post at The Human Race Horses] How to overcome your fear of firing http://www.thehumanracehorses.com/2010/0...
via Twitoaster
on HRH: How to overcome your fear of firing http://goo.gl/fb/SL8k #uncategorized #addnewtag #business #employment
RT @MikeVanDervort: [New Post at The Human Race Horses] How to overcome your fear of firing http://toast.tw/100giu
RT @MikeVanDervort: How to overcome your fear of firing http://bit.ly/66qltI #skillbuilding
Very appropriate topic for HR and for supervisors: "Terminate Your Fear" – http://bit.ly/6J9dY0 – RT @MikeVanDervort #terminations #hr
RT @PattiBreckenrdg: Very appropriate topic for HR and for supervisors: "Terminate Your Fear" – http://bit.ly/6J9dY0 #terminations #hr
Very appropriate topic for HR and for supervisors: "Terminate Your Fear" – http://bit.ly/6J9dY0
Terminate Your Fear http://ff.im/-eiwiz
RT @MikeVanDervort: Terminate Your Fear http://ff.im/-eiwiz
You really nail it on this one. If you’re doing things right from a business perspective ALL the time, terminations will not be a surprise, they do not have to be nasty, and they are not unfeeling. Great post.
Twitter: MikeVanDervort
January 14, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Thanks, Trish! I hope your are having a good week as this draws to an end!
Twitter: karla_porter
January 16, 2010 at 9:04 am
You bring up a good point Mike. I worked for company where the complaint and termination processes were akin to CIA covert operations. After reams of documentation were compiled they would be forwarded to the legal department to await sanctioning of the recommendation. We had white boxes that would be ushered to departments for supervisors to fill with personal belongings while the employee was being terminated that always caused a doomsday feeling, dismay and negative impact on morale in the work areas. Companies need to look at their procedures for the staff perspective. While terminations are necessary at times the process shouldn’t be executed in a manner that causes additional harm to the organization.
.-= Karla Porter´s last blog ..The Dangers of Mass E-mailing Job Applications =-.
Twitter: MikeVanDervort
January 16, 2010 at 4:39 pm
@Karla – excellent points. I am really sick of so much of our decision making being driven by government compliance regulations and litigious employees. Here’s to something new developing in 2010.
Michael, this is right on the money. Particularly “Termination is not rocket science.” Furthermore, Take #’s 6 & 7 out of your termination checklist, and you have a start for a checklist for “HR is not rocket science”. I declare that 2010 is the year HR loses its fear.
.-= pasmuz´s last blog ..Songs About Work (Redux) =-.
Twitter: MikeVanDervort
January 16, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I’m with you on that. Human Resources needs to demonstrate bold leadership this year to generate new jobs and develop strategies that help businesses remain competitive. I know we can do it!
I declare 2010 is the year HR loses its fear>RT @MikeVanDervort: Terminate Your Fear http://bit.ly/66qltI
Awesome post. So true!
.-= working girl´s last blog ..No more stars? =-.