How to Overcome Your Fear of Firing

OVERCOMING FEAR OF FIRING "It was obvious that this employee could not relate well to clients. But I could not bring myself to fire him.? and while I wavered, things only got worse for everyone in the department." Having to fire someone is one of the most difficult actions any manager or executive may have to take. It is an action that many manager's find endless excuses to avoid, as did the executive quoted above. Yet, in certain cases it is unavoidable. Firing is a managerial art that many otherwise successful supervisor's neglect to develop.

WHEN IS FIRING APPROPRIATE? Most people take pride in and care about their job responsibilities. There are some people, however, whose pride in their job is, unfortunately, unwarranted. Others, exist who don't think pride enters into it - that "a job's a job" .Still others are of the belief that they deserve a job because of their circumstances, or their longevity, not necessarily because they are working up to standard. Some people genuinely need a job, but cannot do the quality of work necessary to sustain their position. When the needs of an individual staff member come into serious conflict with the needs of the group, the manager must place higher priority on the well-being of the group. The manager must look beyond the individual needs to the survival of the organization.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK: The best method for avoiding the negative consequences of the firing process involve laying the groundwork, with actions that should be taken long before the final decision to fire is made. All personnel working in an organization should know, from the day they are hired, what actions or behaviors on their part can result in their being fired. These policies should be in writing, and they should be given to all employees or posted in a conspicuous place. Employees have a right to know these ground rules. Once they know them, their responsibility to abide by them should not be subject to question at a termination.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

---

The Red Phone - Management Consulting in 30 Seconds or Less

Modern business faces complex problems; management often calls upon highly-specialized... Read More

Competencies for HR Professionals in Knowledge-based Industry with Reference to IT, ITES-BPOs

Introduction"High performing HR function affects bottom line nearly 10%"- A... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Outstanding Customer Service

Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly... Read More

How Your Feelings and Those of Your Employees Can Make The Difference

How we feel is really more important than what we... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Role of Character in Leadership

This article relates to the Senior /Top Level Management competency,... Read More

Planning For Growth

Are you planning your business or are you... Read More

Is It Worth To Outsource? How One Can Outsource Wisely

Recent trends in software development market show that it is... Read More

Measure for Measure

Can you imagine playing hockey without a goal? Basketball without... Read More

I Am Not A Number - Why Too Many Change Projects Fail

Many of you will recognise this quote from the 1960s... Read More

Employee Surveys: a Strategic Tool for Positive Change

Do you want to measure your workers' level of satisfaction?... Read More

Innovation Management - idea selection and valuation issues

Innovation is different and distinct from creativity in that it... Read More

The Walmart Cult

The CultBecoming a part of the Cult, consists of being... Read More

Selecting A Collection Agency

If you run a business, you are sure to have... Read More

Creativity Management - The Value of Being Prolific

When asked his secret to success, the author Graham Green... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Conduct Successful Training Activities

Whether you are training preschoolers in the classroom or executives... Read More

Plan for Business Success - 6 Reasons to Succession Plan

Succession Planning provides many valuable assets to your business. Yet... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management :- Thought Leadership

Leadership is only sustainable when leaders consistently come up with... Read More

Office Politics

Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

Dont Take New Hires for Granted

Hiring good people is only half the battle. The other... Read More

Necessary Tasks You May Want to Delegate

As a business owner, time is of the essence. Running... Read More

Working with Hearing Impaired Employees - Giving Them a Fair Go

Hearing impaired people often encounter difficulty at work because their... Read More

Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk Part 3

To develop and deliver a great Leadership Talk, you must... Read More

Do the People in Your Organisation Dress For Success?

What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional... Read More

Focus on Outcomes to Keep Your Business On-Course

Did you know that an airplane in flight is off... Read More

4 Tips on How to Avoid Communication Lines Breakdown

For example, in a small, two-person company, there is often... Read More

Learn to Assert Yourself

Pinpoint your own blocks to assertiveness: fear of disapproval, need... Read More

Reprimanding Marginal Employees

THE MARGINAL PERFORMER: Every manager must, from time to time,... Read More

How Managers Can Turn Failures Into Successes

Although there are real, external reasons for managerial difficulty ?... Read More

Argue Your Way To Business Success

"Jack" (not his real name) is a vice president of... Read More

5 Ways to Work More Effectively With Your Administrative Assistant

Stop hiring new administrative support staff. And learn how to... Read More

Are You Ready to Sell Your Business

Make Sure You Understand Your Motivation for SellingAre you thinking... Read More

Temporary Employees and Operational Problems; Your Use of Temps Might Reveal Warning Signs

A recent Washington Post article, described the life of temporary... Read More

7 Essential Elements To Every Organizational Change

[This article is based on excerpts from the special report... Read More