Keep or cut...fire or retain
What do you do when you have a hard employee or student-athlete?
In my experience, many leaders err on the side of thinking they can change/transform/help everyone. And from experience, we all know that's false.
Can we help to transform some? Sure.
We probably all have a story of helping someone go from not bought in, hard-headed and a problem... to a raving fan, totally bought in, and one of the best leaders you have had.
The problem is very few stories turn out this way.
There are a couple of principles I have seen leaders lead with when it comes to this issue.
Principles of Personnel Decisions
- Everyone has a place where they fit. It just might not be in your program/org. Making a change is often a blessing for you, your team, AND the tough employee/athlete.
- Be quicker with adults (over 25) to make a move and a little slower with younger people (under 25). My anecdotal proof is that I have yet to see an adult make major changes in the workplace setting...but have seen young people mature and grow.
- Pay attention to the posture of their heart. Do they have a hardened heart? Or is their heart soft and they are just having a hard time? Hang in with people who have a soft heart, seem teachable, and want to change. Move quickly off the hard-hearted.
*Side note: at some point what they say and what they do has to line up. If they keep saying "I know, I am really trying...this won't happen again" and don't change or even show some signs of changing...this might be manipulation.
- If you are wired to quickly move off people, make decisions slower. If you are wired to be everyone's savior, make decisions quicker.
- Have the hard, clarifying conversation waaaaaayyyyyy sooner than you think you should. In that conversation, lay out expectations very clearly (ie. turn up the heat in the situation). We often wait too long to sound the warning bell.
- Suspensions are a great way to communicate you are serious about the situation...without making a permanent change.
- Grace is not just overlooking an offense. It also comes in the form of discipline. Some of God's greatest acts of grace in my life were in the form of discipline.
- Pay attention to your energy. It can be energizing to walk with someone, helping them mature and grow. But when you start to feel consistently drained...it might be time to make a move.
- We sometimes 'act' like we are not sure what to do in a certain situation involving personnel. However, in my experience, leaders almost always know what they should do. The decision is not the hard part...it is the execution that is hard. So we play this little 'game' of continuing to wrestle with the decisions when deep down we know what we ought to do. Make the tough decision then treat everyone involved with grace, love and class.
These thoughts come out of a conversation I had with a friend of mine last week. He has been battling with 'cancers' in his organization for 7 years. He inherited them and never felt like he could move off them.
And now...he is the one transitioning. His gold is he cares deeply for people. His shadow is he deeply wants to help transform everyone.
He will be fine because he is an elite person and leader. It really is for the best. But still really tough!
I hope this helps give you a grid to think through when making tough personnel decisions.
PS...
**When someone has an abnormally quick trigger on getting rid of people the issue may be a fear of feeling out of control. By taking matters into your own hands immediately and quickly, you now feel a level of control.
**When someone has a slow trigger, it is often a savior complex or people-pleasing.
Click here to order my book The Leadership Greenhouse
One of my weekly disciplines is scouring the internet for articles/tweets I can learn from and/or use with those I work with. Below are two that I hope help encourage and equip you.
Article 1- Being comfortable with being uncomfortable
Article 2- Really good definition of transactional vs transformational
Podcast: Matt Deggs (Part 1). Baseball Coach at U of Louisiana at Lafayette. Inspiring leader. Tough and competitive. Culture builder.
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