How to Fire Someone…Without Relational Carnage, Part 4

Okay, so I’ve been teasing you. I titled this article series “How to Fire Someone,” but I have yet to actually talk about firing anyone. Instead, I’ve been describing mindsets and actions that can largely prevent the kind of impasse that usually results in a firing situation. In this final contribution to the hiring/firing conversation, however, I’d like to explore two avenues that actually involve removing a person from their current position. And—to use Jim Collins’ effective metaphor of getting the right people on the bus and then helping them find the right seat—one track I’ll discuss involves an employee having the wrong seat on the bus…while the other track involves the wrong bus altogether.

Let me offer a couple fresh caveats at this point: This series is not meant to address issues of moral failure or illegality. Actions in these categories might require more extreme and complex strategies than we are able to cover in this set of articles. For the purposes of this series, we are addressing failures of performance and management that tend to end badly, usually with individuals not only leaving a position but also the church…with all the relational carnage that goes along with that dismissal.

So…let’s assume you have worked the process. You have read the three previous articles in this series, and as the “boss,” you have walked wisely and thoroughly through the hiring process and had a high degree of confidence in this team member. You have helped him or her create a professional development plan and coached them in their personal growth. You have provided clarity around their responsibilities and accountability throughout…but it’s still not working! Argh. What to do?

There are essentially only two options at this point—as I said earlier, they are in the wrong seat on the bus or on the wrong bus altogether, despite all your due diligence. But how you handle this juncture, regardless of the correct choice, will make all the difference! Your direct report will find a new home, on the bus or off, and will feel loved, understood, and highly valued…or he or she will feel misunderstood and kicked to the curb. Largely your choice. While you cannot dictate their response, you have the unique power to set them up for success in their response.

Mindset: Commitment to the Person more than the Position

I know, I know. I have used this same mindset in now three of the four articles—but it really is that important and pervasive in this conversation! How does it apply at this stage of the process? It is at this point where it is extremely easy for frustration to take over and trump all the good steps you’ve taken up until now. You have invested time and energy, and for reasons you don’t entirely understand, it’s not working. Don’t quit now; continue to prioritize your team member over the job you hired them to do.

It’s also possible that, after having read the previous three articles, you recognize now that important steps in the hiring and management process were handled poorly…or skipped entirely. In this case, it’s more important than ever to proactively communicate to your staff person so they will know (and believe) that they are more important to you than the ministry machinery. You are committed to helping them live into God’s purposes and find their fit. You can’t bluff this; if it’s not genuine, they will know.

Action: Leverage Reviews and Coaching to Identify a Better Fit

In our last article, we discussed the crucial management responsibility of providing regular coaching (the “being” side of development) and regular performance reviews (the “doing” side). In addition to the power of these practices to bring personal growth and task realignment, they also will serve to highlight—early in the process—any disconnects that may exist between motivations and implementations, gaps between abilities and performance. If you and your direct report are paying attention, you can recognize and make adjustments early in the game.

Or even later in the game. One of those potential adjustments can come in recognizing that the team member’s greatest passion and ability lie in another area than their current job description. When this occurs, it’s your job (or the job of a management team) to determine what opportunities (employed or volunteer) exist in that passion area…and then to create a transition strategy for moving from one job to another over time.

If there are no current opportunities in the passion area or no funding to support an immediate role there, then the responsibility falls to the employee. You have understood them, valued them, and now empowered them to make a decision. Does she wish to keep her current seat on the bus (and do the job up to expectations) while waiting for another seat to come available? Or does he want to leave this seat and the bus. In other words, does he want to fire himself?

Mindset: Make People Fire Themselves.

In the best “firing” scenarios, there are no surprises. Regular coaching has confirmed that the current role is not a best fit. Regular performance reviews have confirmed that standards are not being met—and opportunities for growth and improvement have not been realized. The facts are clear and, what’s more important, the reasons behind the facts are equally clear.

People don’t generally wish to be miserable…or even unfulfilled. If they have passion, they want to excel. If the passion isn’t there, they really want to be doing something different. So help them do something different. Help them fire themselves. Empower them to choose between positive actions—either toward realigning their current responsibilities (in their current position), taking a new area of responsibility (a new position), or leaving their current role entirely. This kind of respect and care for the individual takes care of both the person and the larger work group.

Action: Communicate. Document. Evaluate. Agree.

How do you walk this out? While every situation has its own uniquenesses, the general steps are fairly straightforward:

1. Communicate. When performance wanes, don’t dodge the situation; address it. Ask, inquire, be curious. Explore the levels of passion, skill, and fulfillment.
2. Document. When early coaching doesn’t bring satisfactory changes, begin to document—and communicate—where it’s not working. Let the employee craft a path toward improvement…and chart the results.
3. Evaluate. When performance drops, use some sort of 360-degree review to glean feedback; ideally, this is part of the performance review approach anyway. By incorporating evaluation from multiple team members, it keeps one manager from becoming the “bad person.”
4. Agree. Spell out the options you see—such as the three we discussed above. If one of these doesn’t appeal to the employee, invite them to suggest other options—options that will be win-win for both person and team. Do the work to come to agreement.

This is not a guaranteed, failsafe solution. It is possible for an employee to resist every positive solution, to accuse and entrench. But when this kind of management investment is made in the process and the person, you have just raised your odds immeasurably for a peaceable, purposeful employment change. Because you have chosen a Kingdom value and honored the relationship, you are likely to get Kingdom results. Good luck, and let me know what comes of your skillful managing! I love to hear success stories.

Jerome Daley, ACC, DPM, is a leadership coach and business consultant, specializing in training, professional writing, and soul care. The author of six books and former publisher of Christian Coaching Magazine, Jerome’s passion is simple: helping leaders of all stripes live out a purposeful life. Jerome is a former pastor and an engaging speaker. He is married to Kellie and loves having three teenagers; they make their home in Greensboro, NC, where Jerome enjoys hiking, cycling, rock climbing, and most anything that takes him outside. Learn more at www.purposecoach.net.