Letting People Go

It’s your job

Last year I wrote about ways to manage difficult people. This week a client called and said: “What if it didn’t work?” She didn’t want the situation to continue for another year. By the end of the conversation it was clear there was only one option. 

It is rare to get through a career without dismissing someone. Neither party enjoys it, yet you have a responsibility to handle it.

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Handling Difficult People

Focus on the problem, not the person

Difficult employees are hard to deal with. Some have niggling issues for which no solution seems apparent. Management is slow to react. The situation festers. The politics around it grow complicated.

In most jurisdictions there are clear-cut rules for dismissible offences. More challenging are people who are simply ‘difficult’. They may be chronically late, disrupt team efforts, indulge in excessive politics, be rude and aggressive, or passive and non-compliant.

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Why helping others is good for you

Treating colleagues like customers. 

I once spent a few months working as a kitchen hand in a ski resort. It was the ideal job if you wanted to work on your skiing; not so great if you wanted to enjoy your work.

That wasn’t because the job was hard. It was because the chef was an idiot. His passion was customer service. He demanded the staff focus entirely on the experience of the diner. 

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Getting most of what you want

They are feeling the heat too

What surprises me most in negotiations is when the other side folds. It comes out of the blue. It doesn’t seem to reflect the strength of my position. It’s often contrary to how they had presented, even the table-thumpers.

I’m not a particularly skilled or highly experienced negotiator. But one thing I’ve noticed is it’s always darkest before dawn. Just when I think I have been worn down, I find out they have been too. 

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Management and regulation

There’s a positive to compliance.

A key part of assessing a business acquisition is the “due diligence” process. Few people will buy a venture without thoroughly kicking the tyres.

Sometimes it’s a modest exercise focusing on obvious concerns. In more sophisticated acquisitions, it involves a prolonged examination of every aspect of the business in question. Buyers don’t just want to know the upside; they also want to check the downside.

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