Letting Good People Go When It’s Time
by Pat Wadors
Let’s say you’re a manager in a company that’s scaling up or gearing up for some other kind of transformation. Your biggest job right now is to lead your team through it all and help everyone adapt. You soon realize that some people are well-suited to the changes that must be made, but some aren’t — and you’ll have to let several good employees go. Sound familiar? It’s happened to me — many times. This is especially common in high tech, where the market is constantly evolving. But really, all companies need different kinds of talent at different points in their life cycles. In order to grow, they may have to part ways with collegial, talented employees who just aren’t the right fit anymore. Like frogs in hot water, people often don’t know how much they are struggling until it’s too late. But as their manager, here’s how you can help ease their transition out of your organization and into something new.
- Don’t wait until the end to say what’s been working and what hasn’t.
- If employees continue to struggle, ask them how they feel about their progress.
- Once you’ve decided that some people aren’t the right fit for the long term, tell them.
- Allow them to exit with grace.
- Don’t forget the survivors.
