You don’t have to look very far to find an F bomb these days. Social media. Videos. Movies. It’s become about as common as blockbuster car chases and explosions. So, if you wanna be different, leave ’em out of your business.
But I’m gonna drop an F bomb on you and STILL be different.
No, you don’t have to cover your kids’ eyes and ears. Because the F bomb I’m talking about stands for Fire.
And no, not a forest fire. But something you have to do, sometimes, as a business owner. Yeah, firing an employee is the dreaded F bomb nobody enjoys. And for good reason. Because real lives are affected. If you’ve never had to fire anyone, consider yourself fortunate. But if you have, you know what I’m talkin’ about.
I remember an article that shared 10 things to keep in mind so you can do the deed “nicely.” And I think they’re certainly some things to think about. But I have another take on it I’ll share with you after I share those 10 things.
- Address performance early: And give your employee time to change. Don’t just make firing the first option.
- Make personal time for it: Whatever time you decide on, do it in person. Difficult, but more human.
- Rehearse what you’ll say: It helps to know ahead of time, so you don’t fumble and sound unprofessional.
- Don’t do it alone: Include a neutral third party in case the conversation gets heated or legal sounding.
- Clarify: Stick to the point, from the start. And make sure they know why you’re firing them.
- Stand firm: Because they need to understand your decision is final, based on YOUR criteria, not theirs.
- Leave out the emotions: So they can see you can’t be manipulated by feelings.
- Give them time. Maybe up to 48 hours to think things over and get back to you with questions.
- Allow a goodbye. Or at least consider it if the termination has gone well.
- Think it over afterwards: Ask yourself why the employee didn’t work out. But don’t be too hard on yourself.
OK, those are 10 points to definitely think about.
And I think there’s something else even better to consider.
Set up a better hiring system. I mean, think about it. If you do a better job at hiring better people, it’s less likely you’ll have to drop an F bomb on somebody.
And as fate would have it (well, me actually, and not fate) I set up a System to help ease the burdens. And that’s what I’m going over in the lesson for my UNversity students in August (2023). Maybe you’re a business owner who has to hire (and sometimes fire) people. Or maybe you’re on your way to that point. Either way, you’d like to do it better.
In that case, I recommend you enroll in RondaReady UNversity before midnight July 31st. That’s the deadline to enroll and still be in time for the lesson on setting up your hiring system. That lesson is this week, August 3 (1st Thursday) to be precise.
Monthly tuition is $15. And you get how-to lessons that help you run a business, not just have one. Click or tap the link below before the deadline. And I’ll see you this Thursday.
Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant