Letting People Go

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." – The 14th Dalai Lama

Letting dysfunctional people go is painful, but the alternative is more painful. Dysfunctional employees are tremendously harmful to an organization in a number of ways:

• Dysfunctional employees cash their paychecks, but that money is not buying much for the company.
• In a frantic attempt to get things done, dysfunctional employees have a tendency to suck time and energy from functional employees. It usually requires more time for a functional employee to show a dysfunctional employee how to do a job than it would require the functional employee to just do it himself or herself. Especially if it’s being taught to the same person for the eighth time.
• Dysfunctional employees dishonor your functional employees. Think of what goes through the mind of an excellent employee that sees turkeys amongst his or her coworkers: “Am I ineffective, too?” “Does it really pay to push hard?” “How effective can my company be if it’s filled with ineffective people?” Conversely, how good does it feel to know that, by virtue of being able to keep your job, you are extraordinary at what you do?

The general rule of thumb: if you’re not sure whether or not an employee should stay, than they probably should go.
Once the decision is made to terminate an employee, the goal is to make the termination as peaceful and positive as possible. I believe that the goal in life for each of us is to maximize the total happiness on our planet – a termination will certainly test our ability in this area. Some guidelines:

• Don’t confuse the person with the person’s work. Not functioning effectively at a job does not make someone a bad person – it simply means that they are not effective at their job, as you see their job. Don’t be angry; rather, feel compassion. Even though you are letting someone go, try to be his or her friend.
• Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. Just because a person’s strengths don’t match up with a particular job, it does not mean that they don’t match up with any job. There is a perfect job out there waiting for the person that you are letting go. Offer to work with them to find it. Emphasize their strengths, and offer to be a reference for them in those areas in which they are strong.
• Most people that are not functioning successfully in a job know it, and are not happy. Usually, it’s only inertia that keeps them from looking for a new job. Ultimately, by letting a person go in a way that is open, candid, and maintains dignity, you are usually helping a person to find a happier future.

Good luck!