This Week’s Focus Point
By Dr. Jason Carthen
Realize the Correct Path of Life
One of the greatest challenges that an employee or an employer can face, is separation or termination from employment. “Hey Carthen, coach wants to see you…and bring your Playbook.” Those were some of the most terrifying words that I had ever heard while playing in the National Football League. Both, as I heard them spoken to others and when I finally experienced them for myself. As I made that long walk toward the coach’s office, many things were going through my mind. What were my next steps? How was I going to make it? What does this mean for me personally? What was wrong with me that I could no longer be a part of this team? These and many other questions would be answered as time passed and I realized that I was still on the correct path in my life. In hindsight, it was not until injury and termination that I could truly begin my transformation and movement toward what my true calling and purpose would be in life.
Guide Your Employee to Perform Well
As leaders, we have one of the greatest responsibilities to our employees to help them perform well in their daily job duties and long-term growth. Path-Goal Theory even suggests that if there is a barrier which exists that may hamper an employee’s success, then the leader must remove or mitigate the effects of those barriers. When done well, leadership does not allow the passing of the proverbial buck or engaging in Laissez-Faire Leadership behaviors when it comes to followers.
Help Followers To Maintain Improvement
For this reason, I have always been a proponent that it is the leaders responsibility to get the followers ready once they have been on-boarded in an organization, so they can effectively carry out their job duties. However, there are going to be some situations when the leader has done all he or she can do and the followers is still not reaching or maintaining their improvement. It is at these crucial times that a leader must move towards releasing an employee to a place or position they are better suited for…but it must be done correctly and leave the employee with dignity. When an employee has not been given a choice, or is left with no dignity, they can move toward a place of Passive Defensive posture or Defensive Aggressive posture. Each of which can lead to unhealthy office politics, factions at work and even darker consequences.
Three Things that an Employer Can Do
Here are three things that an employer can do when “Leading Well” is no longer enough:
1. Review Your Past Feedback:
Be sure that you have documented past performance and that you have a clear rationale to make a change or reassignment of the team member. One of the worst things that you can do is to terminate and not have a valid reason for the action.
2. Provide a Very Clear Warning:
In many circumstances, employees may not be aware they are falling short of productivity goals or behavioral expectations. In these moments, the onus is on the leader to make sure the path of performance is well lit. In other words, give them 30 days to show improvement or let them know a change is imminent.
3. Focus on Very Specific Goals:
Communicate with the employee what is expected of them in order for them to move forward. In no uncertain terms do you leave this an area that is open for misunderstanding or provide a mixed message for the team member. This is a crucial time that can change their life, so a clear target for improvement is very important.
While not meant to be exhaustive, those are three initial steps to consider when moving toward employee termination. For even greater detail take a look at this article in Forbes Magazine.
Be Helpful to Your Followers
As leaders, we must place ourselves in the position of our followers by seeking to answer some of the tough questions that I shared earlier when moving toward employee termination. If we do not engage in this sort of assessment, we run the risk of what Rick Warren described as, “Leadership without love is simply manipulation.”
What policies or procedures do you have in place to make sure all options have been exhausted prior to termination?