I had three conversations last week — all about problem employees who moved on and the positive outcomes that resulted after they were gone.

One person finally fired a problem employee: they saw an immediate, positive shift in team morale.

One person got rid of several through a RIF: they were amazed how much more they were getting done with far fewer people.

One person saw their problem employee leave on their own:With that person gone, the team dynamic improved drastically and a more junior person was finally allowed to shine. It became immediately obvious how much talent had been hidden.

All three of these leaders wished they had done something sooner. So, like so many others who find themselves in similar circumstances, why did they hesitate to take corrective action?

There are many possible reasons:

We are busy and hope something changes or that the person leaves on their own.

We are uncomfortable, fear conflict, and dread the conversation.

We personally like the underperforming person in question; we worry what will happen to them.

We minimize the cost of not taking action.

We think there is no one better and fear it will be too hard to replace them.

We are worried about possible legal consequences.

We fear the team may get worse or disagree with our decision.

We wonder if the individual’s underperformance is due to our poor management.

All of these are reasonable concerns. And yet, more often than not, they are excuses.

The fact is, while few people enjoy having to let someone go (and those that do are not worth working for!), there are tremendous costs to leaving someone in a role who is underperforming, disruptive, or otherwise not fulfilling expectations:

Morale can be impacted.

Productivity will be decreased.

Company reputation may be damaged.

Your best people will leave.

You will waste a lot of time and headspace trying to fix, manage, or repair the damage this person causes.

Your decision-making as a leader can be thrown off, ultimately hurting the company.

Your stress level will be impacted and you can lose sleep, drink too much, take frustration out in other unhealthy ways.

It’s not pretty!

A Termination Should Not Be a Surprise

Of course, there are times when something is going on in a person’s life causing a temporary issue. But, it is often something that is not going to resolve.

So while you owe it to the individual to give them a chance to correct things, you owe it to yourself, your coworkers, and your company to remain clear-eyed. If they have been given an opportunity to make a correction and have not, then they are “choosing” to leave. You are responsible for making that choice happen as quickly as possible.

Having Hard Conversations Is a Muscle That Needs Development

We are wired to fear the unknown more than the known. Until we take the steps necessary to remove problematic people a few times — and see, firsthand, how much better things will be — it’s going to be hard.

But as someone who sees a lot of these changes, I never hear that things have gotten worse as a result. Rather, it is typically a huge relief — something the entire organization had been waiting for, wondering why it took so long.

Believe it or not, it also tends to be a relief to the person let go (eventually and with hindsight). I’ve had many conversations with people who look back and know it was the right thing for them as well.

Steps to Take

  • Get help. Talk with your HR department, your colleagues, and your trusted friends about what you have seen and heard. Learn from their experience and perspective to gauge whether you are overreacting.
    Try and do some additional digging to get more data, uncover more clues, and get closer to the truth as quickly as possible. Getting a clearer barometer of the situation will fuel your ability to decide.
  • Move fast. As soon as you see the problem clearly, address it with the person in question. Especially new hires! Provide clear direction of your expectations, including behavior that will not be tolerated. Pay attention to how they respond to the feedback/coaching. (If there is defensiveness or anger, that’s a very bad sign.)
    Things are unlikely to get better on their own. The sooner you can get your arms around whether this is fixable or not, the sooner you will know if a change is needed.
  • Document. With everyone pulled in so many directions, it’s easy to minimize or dismiss things as “not a big deal.” Keeping a journal will help you remember what you have seen and recognize patterns that persist. Plus, if necessary, it creates a paper trail.
  • Do it right. How you handle it speaks volumes about you and your culture. The more fair, kind, and professional you can be, the better for everyone.

The Hardest Part Is Doing Nothing

Keeping the wrong person in the wrong position or in the wrong company is stressful for everyone. It’s hard for them and it’s hard for those around them who have to pick up the slack or put up with their toxicities. That’s not fair to anyone.

As difficult as it can be to have the hard conversation and take the necessary corrective action of terminating someone, when you get through it, everyone — even the person in question — is happier in the end.

Gather your facts, tackle the problem square on, and do what’s needed sooner, rather than later.