Turtles all the way down

I said that to a colleague a few months ago. I still can’t think of an exception to the rule.

In a way it’s not surprising. Firing employees is an unpleasant job and it is human nature to avoid unpleasantries. So we ignore our gut instincts and try to find a way to hang on to that troublesome employee.

We think that the underperformer just needs to be placed in the right job.

We think that the troublemaker needs the right outlet for his energies and is too smart to be without.

We think that manager who never delivers anything on time is having a run of bad luck with some difficult assignments.

But at some point we need to realize that it is not an employer’s duty to make employees better. An employer can only facilitate, not force, improvement. Most good employees just come that way. An employer can help improve an employee but probably cannot or should not try to rehabilitate one.

So bite the bullet and fire the employees that you need to get rid of. Your business will run smoother, other employees will be happier and more loyal, and you’ll live to not regret it.