No boss should enjoy losing an employee. But you can help smooth out the exit.
Firing an employee is always awful. No wonder most bosses usually postpone it as long as possible. (If you ever find that letting someone go isn’t a ghastly experience, you should probably quit.)
But, I must ask the question: Can you fire someone nicely?
If the employee is leaving due to some misdemeanor, the answer is probably, ‘No.’ But you need to distinguish between bad work and bad people. As you explain you won’t need that employee any more, stay focused on the work and the possibility that the person could still improve, albeit somewhere else.
But if, as so often happens, the employee’s skills simply aren’t relevant any more, then it’s important to manage the exit with dignity and kindness. Your ability to do so can hugely improve your standing in the business and actually raise morale. I learned this lesson when I had to lose an early employee who had been a real trooper. He’d filled in all kinds of positions, always been willing to do whatever was asked of him. But he’d joined with a passion for customer service, our business model changed, and our needs and his dreams were no longer compatible.
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.
