by Beth | Apr 9, 2024 | Firing Employees
A friend of mine owns his own company, and about a year ago, he hired a not-so-great admin. He spent months working with her, training her, teaching her. She continually made mistakes. He lost money with his schedule not being full and then, billing became an issue. One day, he walked up to the front desk, and she was reading a book on her phone, with several things unfinished. Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s back: he asked her to send an email. She said she did. He didn’t get it. She said it must not have gone through. He said no problem, just forward it to me. She of course had never sent it.
He greeted her at the door with her final check one morning, and she wasn’t even surprised.
He looked at me and said, “I’m an idiot. I should have fired her 4 months ago.”
First of all, he is not an idiot. He is a kind, generous, dedicated human being and a fantastic business owner. I really appreciate the way that he tried everything in his power to make it work.
And.
As the great Chris Rock says: “Relationships aren’t tough. They are tough when only one person is working on it. Two people can move a couch real easy. One person can’t move it at all.”
I am very pleased to report that my friend has a new admin who started last week, and 2 days in, my friend said this: “I really am a good trainer and teacher. I had forgotten that about myself.”
POWER THOUGHT: When your couch has to be moved, and it isn’t moving, it is time to move on.
by Beth | Jan 3, 2024 | Firing Employees
In my last blog “The Bar Napkin Summit” I gave you three examples of how great business ideas came about, and they didn’t come from being behind a desk! Coming up with THE great idea is just the first step: Then, you have to execute. And what better time to execute than the New Year?
Now that we are entering 2024, it is time to look around and figure out what needs to be done. Do you need to improve your diet? Your exercise plan? Or maybe it is time to fire someone?
A past client of mine had an employee who consistently gave her ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? The team was struggling to work with the individual, my client was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you and help with your Bar Napkin Summit, get going! Now is the time.
POWER THOUGHT: New Year, new you, new goals (thanks to the Bar Napkin Summit), new awesome employee and new culture!
by Beth | Aug 7, 2023 | Firing Employees
I had a client who called me out of the blue wanting to discuss his team. His company had had a large drop in sales recently, so he met with his executive team, and they came up with a plan. The Executive team presented the plan to the directors, and one of the Directors adamantly refused to follow the plan. This Director had no other solutions or suggestions, just dug in their heels, and refused to comply.
The Chief Revenue Officer had a private talk with the Director. So did the CFO. The CMO. The CIO. Finally, the CEO. The Director refused to cooperate.
My client was baffled by this person’s response. He kept saying to me, “It is the right plan. It is a good plan. The Director is the only one who doesn’t agree. What do I do?”
I am a strong advocate for a Restaurant Management philosophy called Popes. There are 21 rules in this system that cover every business problem that I have ever encountered. Rule #17 says “THE REPUTATION OF NO INDIVIDUAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE REPUTATION OF THE COMPANY.” At the end of the day, the business has to come first. There are too many people, employees, their children and their spouses, that depend on the business’s success, so no one person’s agenda can dictate the direction the company goes.
When you have a change in your business and someone on your team refuses to cooperate, you really have no choice but to let them go.
When you experience a crisis or a big change in the business, ask yourself this question: Who on the team is helping? Who on the team is hurting? Whoever is hurting has to go.
POWER THOUGHT: Who on your team is helping? Who on your team is hurting?
by Beth | Dec 28, 2022 | Company Culture, Firing Employees
As we begin each New Year, many of us take the opportunity to re-group and redefine goals for our businesses. This time is often filled with renewed energy to get our lives and work in order. As a part of your New Year’s goals, it might also be time to fire that one employee that is not contributing to your company’s vision.
The impact of an unengaged employee on your business can be catastrophic. Decreased productivity, lowered company morale, and miserable working environments have been common complaints by my clients as they come to the decision to an part ways with an employee. I say start the New Year fresh!
A past client of mine had an employee who consistently gave her ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? The team was struggling to work with the individual, my client was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you, get going! Now is the time.
POWER THOUGHT: New Year, new goals, new awesome employee and new culture!
by Beth | Aug 24, 2022 | Company Culture, Firing Employees
This past week, I followed up with the client who fired the cultural terrorist, and I asked him how things were going.
He sighed. Then he said, “We have lots of issues. For example, now we have to complete all the projects that she sold. We are interacting with her clients and having to explain it without explaining it. Then we still have some of her supporters on staff, and the gossip is rampant. The clean-up work is so much. It is like a festering fart. The smell just lingers.”
He is so right. If you have ever experienced firing a really bad employee, you know exactly how he feels. I suggested to him to get his team together, and talk to them. Remember that after a situation like this, employees are asking themselves two questions:
1) What took you so long? Employees generally identify a cultural terrorist LONG before management does, because the terrorist will kiss up to leadership while crapping on those below and beside them.
2) Is my job at risk too? After someone is fired, it rattles every employee to the core, whether that person deserved to be fired or not.
Address these two questions like this: “It was time for us to part ways, and no one else is at risk of losing their job. I also need you all to help me get back on track for our year-end goals.” Put a stop to the gossip and re-focus your team to the objectives. Then, do something fun as a group during work hours for team building. And, if the terrorist’s supporters can’t get onboard, they may have to go also.
Finally, hang tight, and have faith. The smell will dissipate eventually.
POWER THOUGHT: Your office will smell after firing a cultural terrorist, but that festering fart will dissipate over time.
by Beth | Jan 15, 2020 | Company Culture, Employee Hiring, Firing Employees
Firing someone, even if it is the best thing for all parties is awful. It feels terrible. Even if you knew it was coming, and even if it wasn’t a surprise to your employee, it still feels totally horrendous. You have a pit in your stomach, and your overall feeling is enough to make you want to hire someone as fast as you possibly can to fill that hole.
Don’t.
Why not, you ask? “I need to fill this seat Beth!”, said a panicky client. Because that is when you make hiring mistakes, when you hire from a panic place rather than a place of reason and overall calm.
According to Robert Plotkin, who wrote How to Prevent Internal Bar Theft, “Hiring the wrong bartender can be staggering. It’s better to operate short-handed for a period of time and rely on your existing staff to cover the bar than hiring someone unqualified or inappropriate for the establishment. It will be more advantageous in the long-run to delay hiring another bartender until the right candidate can be found.”
In addition to Robert’s thoughts on the topic, Warren Buffet says “Money flows from the impatient to the patient.” I believe this to be true in any area of life. In any situation where big decisions must be made, we all operate and make decisions better from a place of measured calm than from panicked overthinking.
So, when you have the unfortunate experience of firing someone, I want you to pause. Take a big deep breath. Let the emotions settle down. Call a team meeting and rally the troops. Let everyone know that it will be okay, and that you are committed to hiring the very best candidate you possibly can. And, then wait at least two weeks before you do anything.
Our instinct as humans is to replace a person in our lives as fast as we possibly can. In the end, learning why that person no longer serves you and your organization is the better path, and proceeding from a place of calm will serve you best in the end.
