The fact that an employee is not performing according to your expectations could be your problem, not theirs. Whenever you are tempted to fire someone, it is better for you to reconsider what you are doing, so you may know where you have gone wrong. You must ask yourself how this happened, and how you can prevent it from happening again. So, who do we turn to in this case? We must resort to our emotional intelligence. Here are some questions you should ask yourself as an employer before firing any employee.
This is the first question to ask yourself if the person doesn't meet your expectations, according to Gary Bradt, an executive coach and the author of The Ring in the Rubble: Dig Through Change and Find Your Next Golden Opportunity).
Leaders often think that they have been clear in setting expectations, when, in reality, they have not. “Telling someone what to do is not enough. The only way you can be sure an employee knows what you expect is when they clearly state in their own words what your performance expectations for them are, and clearly state how they will be measured. Often this is where the problem lies, so make sure to check this box off before you do anything else,” Bradt says.
Perhaps your employee knows what you expect of them, but they lack the skills to do so. In that case, make sure you give them the correct tools and training -whether it is soft or hard skills- to help them get the job done, says Bradt. If you don't have the time or money to give that training, at least make sure you match the person’s skills to the demands of the job. “Asking a person to perform a job where they lack the necessary tools is poor leadership,” adds Bradt.
You may be able to provide training to help the employee improve their performance at any time, but when an employee is not motivated, there may be nothing to fix. “Even the best training can’t repair an unmotivated, disengaged employee. So before cutting them loose, determine if this is a fixable situation,” says Eric Chester, employee engagement expert and author of Work Ethic: A Leader’s Guide to Ending Entitlement and Restoring Pride in the Emerging Workforce. .
Sometimes we blame the person when we have to focus on the process, says David Goldsmith, a leadership and management expert and author of Paid to Think: A Leader's Toolkit for Redefining Your Future. He suggests taking a close look at your company's hiring practices, rethinking candidates based on their talents and abilities rather than titles, considering past accomplishments regardless of current circumstances, and making improvements in recruitment methodologies to find the best candidates for employment.
When you hire people in your company, do you guide them to the culture and the way you do things, or do you expect them to notice it by themselves? Do you tell them what to do if they have questions, or do you give them a procedure to follow when they are not sure what is required of them? “You can save a lot of time and money by giving newer employees the support they need to be successful and productive from day one, versus wasting time and energy trying to figure out ‘how things work around here,” says Bradt.
Were your expectations of the person you are about to fire now realistic? Or do you hire people thinking they would be a clone of yourself? “Perhaps you set the bar so high that no one could clear it, and now you’re acting out of frustration,” Chester notes. So, you have to rethink your initial expectations and remind yourself that the employee who will replace them won’t be like you either.
Telling an employee how they can improve is a challenge for many bosses. However, this improvement will not happen without proper and specific feedback on what is working and what is not . “For example, imagine hitting golf balls on the driving range to improve your swing but having no idea where each shot went. How would you know to adjust?” Says Bradt. Likewise, employees need you to give them action-specific feedback to improve their performance regularly.
Some companies say that they support teamwork, but instead, they reward individual efforts, or they want to minimize internal competition, but establish incentive systems like trips and gifts, which creates competition. “If you are not getting the behavior you want from your employees, challenge your pay and reward system to make sure it is reinforcing the behavior you say you want. The people you want to let go may only be doing what the system is rewarding them to do,” says Bradt.
Goldsmiths advises leaders to stay informed and present throughout the entire process or project. “That’s not to say that leaders should hover over people, but they need to be present physically, virtually or technologically,” Goldsmith says. If they are not available 24/7, they should at least keep in touch during certain intervals, where employees can approach them, ask questions and directions and get the necessary support to continue with the project. Without that guidance, the employee is destined to fail. So communicate with your employees at work as often as you can.
“Imagine if Peyton Manning was asked to play defensive tackle, or if Mick Jagger was asked to sing opera. They’d be in the right line of work, but they’d be out of position,” suggests Chester. Likewise, that lousy dental assistant could be a great receptionist; or the guy who cannot close a sale may have an amazing talent for programming. Before firing any employee, put your emotional intelligence along with your leadership skills to good use, and ask yourself if you put the person in the position that fits their natural strengths, and always try to match them.
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