If you are generally seen as a rational person, and you are undecided about whether to dismiss someone, it is often a sign that the time has come. The assumption here is that your judgment is not driven by ego, jealousy, or resentment.
There is a saying: “If you have just begun to feel it, you have probably been asleep until now.” This applies well to such decisions.
If you are investing too much time and effort in managing one individual, at best they will only reach the level you personally teach them. They will not take things beyond that. The area under their responsibility will rarely surprise you positively. Unless you provide all of the vision, no significant development will occur. Managers who lack self-confidence may prefer such people, because they do not pose a threat.
The best people need guidance, not micro-management. The less capable ones need their agendas tracked, reminders for tasks they forgot, constant follow-up, and repeated instruction. Yet these less capable individuals are often the most loyal in crises. You give them another chance, cover their deficiencies, and hope they will improve. But they occupy your mental space, consume energy, and enter your thoughts at night. You may feel guilty about dismissing them because you hired them, or because they came via a friend’s recommendation, or because they have a family.
If these patterns persist, the time for dismissal has come, however painful it may be. The longer you postpone, the more time you and your company lose.
Sometimes a department is led by someone highly experienced who has been in that position for years and appears fully in control. Despite all efforts, the function does not progress. There is always a justification. When you encounter this type of situation, dismiss the person without overthinking. When a new, capable leader arrives, you may see what appear to be miracles in that same department.
The person you are considering may have worked there for a very long time and feel untouchable. They resist change, undermine initiatives, and spread negativity about proposed improvements. They may be saturated or exhausted. Despite an impressive past, they are now a barrier rather than a support. As a new manager, dismissing them may be risky, but it is often in the company’s best interest.
You should never keep people in the organization who constantly look for external causes for every problem, reject new initiatives, and focus on the negative. Negativity is contagious. If someone does not give themselves a chance to change, you should not allow them to drag you and the organization down.
That article came from the experiments we have conducted over the years.
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