This is not cool—in some ways it is the antithesis of cool. But it is an important achievement where I overcame my own weaknesses to do what was necessary. And I add it here to add some diversity to the stories already posted.
I fired someone who objectively deserved to be fired because she was repeatedly harming the organization, despite the fact that I sympathized greatly with her situation. I believe I did so with clarity and compassion; she agreed that her conduct was intolerable. Continuing to tolerate it would have set a terrible standard for her peers. Firing someone is a negative event for both people involved, though it is obviously worse for one. So it was the right decision and you just have to pay the price.
Then I explained the reason to all her peers and showed the evidence for why, despite the fact that this is not the done thing in modern manageria. I believe that the message came across; informal feedback afterwards indicated that the group appreciated the openness and agreed with the action. Not talking about the reason openly would have led to speculation where all but one of the many purported reasons would have been false. Talking about this in a group setting is a professional risk because you never know how people will talk about it afterwards. But again, it was the right decision and you just pay the price.
This is not cool—in some ways it is the antithesis of cool. But it is an important achievement where I overcame my own weaknesses to do what was necessary. And I add it here to add some diversity to the stories already posted.
I fired someone who objectively deserved to be fired because she was repeatedly harming the organization, despite the fact that I sympathized greatly with her situation. I believe I did so with clarity and compassion; she agreed that her conduct was intolerable. Continuing to tolerate it would have set a terrible standard for her peers. Firing someone is a negative event for both people involved, though it is obviously worse for one. So it was the right decision and you just have to pay the price.
Then I explained the reason to all her peers and showed the evidence for why, despite the fact that this is not the done thing in modern manageria. I believe that the message came across; informal feedback afterwards indicated that the group appreciated the openness and agreed with the action. Not talking about the reason openly would have led to speculation where all but one of the many purported reasons would have been false. Talking about this in a group setting is a professional risk because you never know how people will talk about it afterwards. But again, it was the right decision and you just pay the price.
Max L.