Member-only story
Reclaiming the Performance Improvement Plan
Turning a manager’s last resort into a tool for employee growth
The first and only time I had to fire someone was, by far, the most challenging experience I had as a leader. My boss sat beside me on the HR call where the verdict was handed down. I expected HR to hold my hand and guide me through the unpleasant but necessary task.
That was not the case. We were given the green light, and HR got off the call indicating we would handle the next steps. I looked over at my boss and he matter-of-factly replied, “So you ready to do this?”
“Ready to do what?” I thought.
“Who is he speaking to? I did my part.”
When I was a supervisor, I had been part of case files leading to someone being let go, but I have never been in the room. I was not prepared for this task and if I’m being honest, I never could have been.
The conversation was to be carried out the following day and I could not sleep the night before. On the day of the task, I was nauseous. I was confident I would vomit at any given moment.
When the time came, I doled out the news, maintaining professionalism and answering questions as they were asked. The individual, for the most part, remained calm, and my duty was completed…
