I was recently meeting with a client who was frustrated. One of their associates wasn’t performing—despite ten conversations. It was draining morale and hurting profitability. The leadership team was at a loss.
So I asked, “Would this associate be surprised if you terminated their contract tomorrow?”
They paused, then admitted: Yeah… probably.
That revealed a key disconnect.
At our firm, we have learned to use two simple questions before any termination decision:
- Have we done everything we can to help this team member succeed?
- Would they be surprised if they were let go?
The first question uncovers whether expectations, onboarding, and support are clear. The second checks whether your feedback loop is actually working.
People want to know where they stand. If someone is surprised by a termination, that’s a leadership issue.
Sometimes things don’t work out. That’s tough—but being able to answer yes to both questions makes the decision far more objective.
Until next time,
Bill
