I’ll never forget the first time I had to fire someone. It was the worst experience of my life and, after living through it once, I decided I never wanted to do it again. If firing feels good (ahem, Donald Trump), then I think you have a serious empathy chip missing. It should never feel good. Over the years, I’ve observed that most people get fired for two big reasons: 1) they never should have been hired in the first place, and 2) their manager never gave them the feedback they needed to get better. Since moving towards a strengths-based approach to managing people, I’ve ‘fired’ several people from their roles by moving them into new roles within the team or with other companies. This approach has kept their self-esteem intact and my own anxiety level to a minimum. A much better outcome for all parties I think.
#leadershiptruth
