Before You Terminate: Four Questions Every Leader Should Ask.
Hello ingagehr community!
Can you believe it is October already? September flew by. We've noticed a significant increase in the pace of work and an influx of calls from leaders. The fall is typically when leaders’ priorities sharpen, a focus on year end and people challenges put on pause over the summer begin to take up more time in the calendar and in their day-to-day work. Now is typically the time when leaders focus on addressing hard decisions about an individual’s performance, accountability, and (sometimes) consider termination.
We know these are not easy decisions and are never considered lightly. Here are four key questions to ask before terminating an employee.
HAVE WE SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS?
This is critical. Does the person clearly understand what is expected of them, both in their work, but also their behaviour at work? Let’s be clear; a significant number of terminations are related to their work behaviour. Too often, teams only define the technical parts of a job; what gets done - projects, priorities, deliverables and deadlines. But how we work matters just as much. Behaviours like collaborating, showing respect, showing up on time, and owning your impact are not insignificant; they’re the foundation of your culture, your team environment and productivity. We often hear; ‘they’re just not a good fit with the team’ or ‘we’re spending more time working around this person because they are hard to work with’. Behaviour, attitude and approach to work need to also be clear and put in writing.
Step 1: Clearly outline (in writing!) the behavioural expectations required to be effective and productive at work. Use examples of positive communication, teamwork, reliability and effort/quality work to set behavioural expectations.
HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN HAPPENING?
We often get a call about performance not when it’s started, but when a leader is tired of it. Allowing poor performance to go unaddressed is quietly allowing it to be permittable. Complicit = Accepted. Address problems early, before they smolder. Trust us; poor performance rarely fixes itself.
Here’s the hard sentence to hear: termination without discussion, expectation setting or providing time for correction is not the answer. If you have a progressive discipline process, you should follow it.
Step 2: Match the duration of time of the performance concern and the feedback/coaching provided with your next course of action. If the individual has not been clearly provided feedback and clear expectations, it is best to follow a progressive course of corrective action instead of jumping to termination.
WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?
We are all human, which means we all have multiple facets of our lives that overlap. Treat your employee how you would like to be treated, with dignity and consideration. Have a straightforward, respectful, human conversation: “Here’s what I’m seeing. Here’s the outcome. What’s going on?”
Sometimes the issue is personal - health concerns, caregiving responsibilities, burnout. Sometimes it may be related to an issue that can be resolved at work. When leaders encourage (voluntary) disclosure and point to supports, it can make all the difference.
Step 3: Once you clarify any roadblocks, build a plan. If the employee requires support and you have benefits and/or FEAP (Family Employee Assistance Program) – offer them. If there is a work roadblock, help create a plan to overcome it. Set clear timelines to resolve and follow up with the discussion in a timely manner.
HAVE WE DONE ALL THAT WE CAN?
When leaders call for HR advice, this is what I look for; has the leader provided clear direction, set expectations, given enough time and resources to help the employee meet expectations. Have they followed a consistent and progressive approach to resolving the issue. Are there any other options within the company or training that may be appropriate? If the leader has exhausted all avenues, we have the discussion of termination.
Step 4: Seek professional guidance when moving to termination and develop an exit plan. Be sure you are meeting labour (and ethical!) standards, protecting privacy, and proactively plan for the conversation carefully to preserve the individual’s dignity during this difficult discussion.
If you’re navigating a tough people challenge this fall and want to talk it through, we’d be glad to help.
