How to Fire Someone or Have a Difficult Conversation with an Employee

There has been a lot of news recently about some high-profile firings in government, along with some discussion about how best to let an employee go so this seems like a good time to cover some of the basics.

In addition to following your company protocol, when having a tough conversation with an employee or colleague, or when firing someone on your team consider the following basics.

Meet in person. Difficult conversations are best held face to face. This allows you to convey some degree of warmth and compassion for the other person through your body language, in addition to your words. It also provides a sense of dignity and brings professionalism to the situation. Just as you should never break up with a romantic partner by text or email, do not have tough work conversations through these methods of communication.

Stick to the facts. You'll want to focus on the specific details related to the firing or the need for the meeting and keep it simple and short. There is no need to do a lot of unnecessary small talk because the other person will likely need time away to process the information and their changed situation.

Read the situation. Upon providing the news or feedback be silent. Let the other person decide if they want to ask questions or ask for clarification. As noted above, some people will simply want to leave, others might get upset and emotional. Be prepared for a variety of responses and respond calmly and kindly.

Don't make it about the other person. As noted above, you'll want to focus on the specific facts or behaviors that have led to the firing or the need for the discussion. Do not comment on the other person's personality, psychological, or emotional qualities. You are not there to attack their character or personality but to provide a reasoned critique of their work performance.

Follow these basic principles to make a difficult conversation proceed more smoothly.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Get the Life and Career You Really Want

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Get the Life and Career You Really Want: "You summon up all your energy and your creativity. You're not afraid because when you only have today, what are you afraid of? You have nothing to lose. You give it your all."

• 5 Steps to Achieve the Life You've Always Dreamed Of: "It starts by creating a vision of who you want to become. Seeing is believing, so walk by sight and believe that your best days are ahead of you."

• Send This Email When You're Running Late to a Job Interview: "if you’re worried about it working, know that it’s inspired by one of the best messages I received from a candidate who was going to be late for an interview."

• How to Fire Someone Gracefully: "If you need to talk about how you feel, talk about your emotions with your mentor before having the conversation with your employee. This will allow you to keep a cool head and stay collected, especially if the employee becomes emotional."
• 8 Things You Should Never Put On a Resume: "Objectives or statements of purpose take up space that could be put to better use ― and your cover letter is where you should really expand on what you have to offer."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Getting Fired, Great Jobs for Veterans, and More

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 8 Great Jobs for Veterans in 2016: "An analysis of which positions were well suited to former military personnel looking for new careers."
• 10 Ways Successful People Stay Calm: "90 percent of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control."
• 4 Unconventional Rules for Building a Better Professional Network: "To truly cultivate new ideas and harness the ones that will drive you forward, you need a team of mentors to rid you of your comfort zone."
• Why We Need to Stop Thinking of Getting Fired as a Bad Thing: "The duration for each mission is typically one to three years, and once that time is up, the manager and employee should work together to come up with a new tour of duty, depending on how to best progress the employee’s career."
• 4 Ways Millennial Women Can Boost Their Careers: "This includes speaking up at department meetings, getting involved in a variety of initiatives outside the scope of your job and strengthening ties with allies."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: What You Need to Succeed

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 8 Tips to Resign from Your Job Gracefully: "If your manager has a track record of taking feedback gracefully and generally makes it safe to be honest, you might consider sharing the factors that led you to look for another job."
• Why You Don't Need to Be Smart or Talented to Succeed: "You don't need to focus on padding your resume or hiking your GPA, you need to focus on understanding and improving yourself."
• Two Things You Should Do After Getting Fired: "Use the experience to learn how to change some workplace behaviors, whether [they're] personality-driven or communication-driven or something else."
• 7 Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success: "Jump past barriers and countless years of indecision by hiring a business partner that gives you the kick you need to stay motivated or a sales representative to get your product out in stores."
• Be Your Own Best Advocate: "So we all need a strategy for everyday negotiations that will allow us to come away not only successful but also still held in high regard by bosses and colleagues."