To Fire Now or to Wait for the Replacement

Fire immediately or wait till you find a replacement?

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both

Here’s a situation: You’ve decided to fire an employee. Now you’ve two choices -

1. Fire immediately and then look for a replacement.
2. Find a replacement before you fire.

What will you choose?

It’s tricky. I asked my counterparts who are leading a team (in my organization and outside) on how they’d react to this situation. To my surprise, most of them said they’d try to find a replacement before firing. They said it’s ‘safe.’ Two main reasons why they don’t want to go with option-1:

1. It’ll add additional burden on other team members
2. A deadline might get pushed

On the surface, it does sound reasonable to many. But, I feel it’s more ‘defensive’ than ‘safe.’ Let me explain.

Hiring is tough. Firing is tougher

No good organization ever said that they hire average people. From an early stage startup to the biggest players in the industry, everyone hires the bright and brilliant.

Not every hire will go on to become a great employee.

If you were ever involved in the hiring process, you’d know how difficult is it to find the right candidate. Hiring is tough. You probably pat yourself on the back after finding the ideal candidate. Imagine, from this to having to decide on firing the same person. See, firing is tougher.

Not every hire will go on to become a great employee. It might be a cultural mismatch, or the employee’s inability to perform well despite several opportunities. You have your reasons.

After what is seemingly a tough decision, comes the tricky part — whether to fire immediately or wait till you find a replacement.

I’d always, always go with option-1: fire immediately and then hire a replacement. There’s a flaw with the ‘safe’ approach:

• If the employee’s performance is the issue, it’s bad for your product. The deadlines will be pushed regardless.
• Carrying an under-performer means more time spent on reviewing and fixing their mistakes. Your team is already bearing the extra burden. They just don’t realize it.
• If the reason for firing someone is a cultural mismatch or bad conduct, you’d want to stop it from spreading immediately.

Trying to hire a replacement before firing has its disadvantages too.

• Your hiring will get affected. You’ll be in a rush to hire a replacement, and that won’t help.
• Imagine how your team members will react if you suddenly publish a job opening for a team that seemed to be content with the resources. What will you tell your team members?

Your team members will not get it right away. They might complain about the ‘one less resource.’ That’s fine. You’ll learn to deal with it. Just believe in your decision, there is no point in delaying the inevitable.

Yes, it won’t be a popular choice. But, it’s the right one.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — 
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

To Be The CEO Meet Jason Falls Conversation Research Institute #502LeaderSeries

My guest this week on the #502LeaderSeries is the founder of the Conversation Research Institute. He is also a digital media strategist, social agitator, and instigator. I use those last two terms in the most endearing ways possible and I genuinely mean that. Jason Falls is the type of person that looks for ways to rock the boat, ever so slightly. He's not content with things simply being the way they are. I think this makes him a good digital marketer because the things he does, whether it is a blog post, an analysis report or simply a tweet, he does to invoke questions from his audience. He tries to get them to think. And in a world where so much media is trying to get people to be subservient and take the thinking out of the equation, his approach is rather refreshing.

I really enjoyed this chat, which we recorded in his basement office at Peak 10 Data on Baxter. If you didn't know this, my podcast is very mobile and I like to give my guests first pick at the location because I believe that if they are in a comfortable setting then the conversation will be more authentic. It works. 

https://jasonfalls.com/

Jason Falls has enlightened audiences in seven countries and on three continents. His unique approach – providing original research through conversation data – often reveals surprising insights for audiences to use. One TBEX North America attendee said of his conversation research talk in 2016, “My mind is blown. We have to rethink how we approach our audience now.”

From industry events like South by Southwest and Inbound to trade shows and association events like the SEMA Show and Real Green Systems, Falls’s talks deliver high value for attendees and organizers. His mix of Southern charm, wit and witticisms and deep digital marketing experience with big brands and agencies make him the perfect balance of informative and entertaining.

Noted as an early adopter and influencer in the social media marketing space, Falls’s speaking resume dates back to the mid-2000s and has covered everything from basic how-to’s to thought provoking talks that impact marketplace trends.

My intention is to help your business…

Your intentions should dictate your actions. My intention is to help your business. I do that by giving you ideas, solutions and inspiration through keynote speeches, blog posts and social content. But also with blocks of consulting time for coaching or strategic guidance and even market research around your customers.

Do reach out and tell me how I can help your business.

My intention is to do so.

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Connect with Jason Mudd

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4B0rMa68o1WiXP58ATi3xA

https://medium.com/@itsmontezdotcom/connections-over-money-109f8ac330cd 

Check out this Blog Post ! 

http://goingthroughheldontslowl.blogspot.com/2017/04/just-how-game-is-played.html