Hire and Fire For Values – Part 2 Firing
It takes a lot of work to fire someone these days. Our friends in the legal profession have made the process of firing employees incredibly time consuming. For some leaders, this process is a disincentive for doing the right thing.
When a leader allows a low performer to stay, that leader is failing. In the same way a leader who keeps a person who displays disdain for the organization’s values due to this legal disincentive is failing as well.
Hiring For Values (previous blog) is a critical first step for leaders who believe in the values they claim. An equally important step is being willing to Fire For Values as well.
An Example of Firing For Values
Sticking with integrity, honesty, or character, example we discussed in Part 1 of this series – knowing whom to fire is easier than doing it.
Example:
A sales leader calls an employee and hears a Walmart announcement in the background. When asked, the sales representative apologizes for forgetting to inform the leader of a paid day off they intended to take.
If I believe in the values of my company, I go on high alert. This is probably not the first time this person went on a shopping spree during work hours. Do I fire them right away?
No. This time they get a warning. The next time, they should get a pink slip. In between, I am going to start reviewing reports, projects and other resources to be sure I have not missed similar behaviors in past.
Firing For Values
Hiring For Values is the first step. Communicating and demonstrating that a team’s values are valuable is the second step. But neither of these will mean much if a leader does not have the courage to fire people who display their disdain for those values.
For example, if I claim character, initiative, courage, perseverance and humility as values, I need to be willing to remove people from the team who do not exhibit these values.
I must ask myself:
- Character: If I catch them in a lie, do I have the courage to fire them?
- Initiative: If I consistently have to prompt them to take action, do I have the courage to fire them?
- Courage: If they do not report a moral failure of a coworker, do I have the courage to fire them?
- Perseverance: If they consistently give up when they encounter a little difficulty, do I have the courage to fire them?
- Humility: If they consistently push back against coaching and refuse to change, do I have the courage to fire them?
Granted, an issue of incompetence is easy to identify and quantify. An issue of misaligned values will likely take some documentation and courage on the leader’s part. It is not easy, but it is worth it!
Some documentation tips can be found in a previous blog: 7 Documentation Tips Learned The Hard Way.
The Bottom Line:
One of my roles as a leader is to establish, reinforce and protect the values of my organization. Hiring people who are aligned with those values makes my job a lot easier.
However, we all make mistakes in hiring. The people we hire are never perfect. They all are sinful human beings and many of them are experts in hiding their true nature during the interview process. But, their true selves will emerge with time.
That is when it is critical for a leader to put his money where his mouth is and have the courage to act for the good of the team. One person who displays values that are counter to a team’s values can cause huge problems.
If an organization or a leader claims a handful of core values, then they must be sure they are willing to do everything necessary to uphold those values. If they are not, then they are platitudes and not values.
It comes down to belief and courage. As a leader do I truly believe in the values of my organization? If I do, then do I have the courage to do what needs to be done to protect those values?
This is not easy. But if I wanted an easy job, I should not have accepted the promotion to leadership.
Question:
What values do you believe are important enough to fire someone for violating?
Dave Anderson is author of Becoming a Leader of Character – Six Habits that Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home.
You can find Becoming a Leader of Character on Amazon by clicking here:
You can also find Becoming a Leader of Character at Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and other retailers.
My first comment is that we are all guilty. What I like best about Hire/Fire for values is that it can be read from both angles, that of a the leader and that of the team member. If, as a team member, the values don’t line up, and you aren’t in a position to re-align them, then quit. I would like to see a third installment…. Quit for Values.
Joe- Great idea! You are right as well. Get out of that situation if you are not where you fit.
Two strikes and you’re out? Failure to acknowledge different employees require different management style? Failure to recognize a colleague struggling with life circumstances? Insensitivity to cultural norms about defending valued co-workers?
I agree that keeping dead wood or chronically problematic employees on board is a mistake, but some of your examples can just as easily be taken as management failures.
Just saying.
For the an integrity issue like skipping work to go shopping, why would you wait for a third strike?
I do believe good leaders should look at all the circumstances involved in a person’s life. However, if the leader has clearly communicated what values are important and defined what those values look like in action, then these are not management failures.
In a short blog it is difficult to lay out all the what ifs scenarios. However I do cover situational leadership, personality styles and dealing with cultural norms in other blogs that might more fully address your ideas.
Your example of integrity is a good one and it speaks to the foundation of relationships. Employees and children often decry that their boss or parents are micromanagers and ‘in their business night and day’. The question they must ask themselves is: Have I given them reason to be that way? Most managers would respond the way you describe when they hear the Walmart announcement in the background, they begin to micromanage. Thus ends the relationship of trust. Yes, there is hope for restoration but it takes time and work. Nobody, especially someone in charge, wants to be taken advantage of or made a fool.
Great question to ask Garrett: “Have I given them a reason to micromanage me?”