What are the nine Essentials in a termination situation that can positively impact the morale and perceptions of the people that remain?
1 - Be aware of the "there but the for the Grace of God go I" feelings of many of the remaining people. Terminations, even the most justified, create insecurity in the minds of many of the good people. View the actions taken by the organization through the self interest of the workforce.
2 - It's absolutely essential that respect for the person being terminated is shown. Privacy and providing the opportunity for constructive discussion show respect. It provides employees with the assurance that respect for individuals is part of the organization's culture.
3 - All employees want to know, by the actions of the organization, that there is a system of due process that ensures actions taken are subject to discussion and review before action is taken.
4 - Confidentiality is important. It's tempting to want to justify the termination of an employee by communicating the reasons for it. Don't. Trying to justify and/or gain the approval of others is a lose - lose proposition. Plus the terminated person may feel an obligation to seek recourse because of what is said about them.
5 - Not following what has been written and practised in order to terminate someone degrades the trust the workforce has in the word of the organization. Often aggressive managers - the same ones who would short circuit the selection process, are the ones who want to act without regard for process in termination. It's a poor investment in the morale of any organization - and almost guaranteed to result in legal action.
6 - Offer the opportunity to resign, whenever possible. The most effective action is often one where the boss and the person have a "it's not working out" talk, and the person is given time to seek other opportunities while continuing to perform their duties - or not.This can be tricky - trust is a big part of this kind of arrangement. But in most cases, people are relieved that the opportunity to salvage their self respect and protect their security is offered. Most people who are not performing well know it - they often find the discussion a relief.
7 - The Hiring Manager has to be the one to notify the person of their termination. A representative of the Legal or HR staff may be a witness and may be the resource to provide information on benefits, salary continuation, references, insurance, financial matters - but the Hiring Manager has to respect the individual by informing them of their termination.
8 - It's absolutely essential that as soon as performance issues are identified, action is taken. Failure to take action has the effect of reducing employees expectations of what represents acceptable levels of performance. And once action is deferred, it makes it more difficult to act later - while the bar of acceptable performance has been lowered.
9 - Don't make the same mistake twice. When the dust has cleared and the mistake in selection has been fixed, review what happened and take what was learned and apply it to the next selection. Continuing to do the same things and hoping for a better outcome are marks of a poor manager. And do not tolerate the "throw them up against the wall and see if they stick" approach to selection. That leads to sloppy selection practices, legal headaches, poor performance.
Review your actions when you have the responsibility for terminating someone - then compare your actions and the actions of your organization to the essentials listed. See how you can improve the morale and commitment of the people left to do the work. It's an investment in behavior that will create focus on the future rather than on the past.
Written by Andy Cox, President
Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/
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