A Step-by-Step Guide to Firing Someone

by Dick Grote
Harvard Business Review | February 17, 2016

Years ago I heard the statement, “Discharge is the capital punishment of organizational life.” What nonsense! If our metaphor for termination is capital punishment, no wonder organizations and their managers are so hesitant to fire a poor performer.

The appropriate metaphor? A no-fault divorce. As painful as divorce may be at the time, it allows two people to correct a mistake and move on to a more satisfying future. Handled well, termination works the same way. Here’s how to do it right.

Start by creating a transition plan. Choose the day and the time for the termi­nation deliberately. While experts disagree on when a firing should occur, all acknowledge the importance of having a rationale — a good business reason for your choice of time and day for dropping the ax. Doing it early in the day, early in the week, encourages the employee to get right to work on finding another job and reduces the chances that he’ll spend the weekend moping in a black hole or — worse — plotting revenge. Friday after­noons, on the other hand, often create the minimum amount of disruption to the rest of the staff.

Whatever your decision, put company interests first. For months you’ve probably put up with less-than-stellar performance in hopes that the situation would somehow correct itself. Now that the end is at hand, plan the transition so as to do the least damage to company and coworkers…[MORE]

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To read the entire article by Dick Grote at the Harvard Business Review website, visit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Firing Someone