Should You Fire a Friend?

We discussed the uncomfortable yet necessary topic of ‘should you fire a friend?’ in this episode. Is it morally doable? How do you feel about letting go of someone you’ve bonded with?

Are you the type of entrepreneur who establishes outstanding bonds and strong friendships with your employees? Do you head out for after-work social drinks with your business partner? We question what to do when the business side of the relationship is falling short. Do you fire that person you’ve grown to love as a friend?

Firing someone is a really difficult thing to do; it requires a lot of wisdom and compassion. Michael Gilmour

Startups face new challenges every day, and changes are made more frequently to improve the company’s success. One day you may be working a certain way, and the next, there is a need to shift the focus and alter how employees approach the work-based tasks. How does this affect your employees’ performance?

In such an ever-changing, ever-growing environment like a startup, sometimes the skill sets previously needed from employees or partners may no longer be of value to the company’s future. But let’s be honest, no matter the reason, firing someone remains one of the most challenging tasks.

What if your best employee makes one crucial mistake that reflects their character? Should that mean you need to let them go?

Where do you cross the line when it comes to friendship? And how ‘bad’ does the mistake need to be before you call it quits? Can you rely on your company’s core values to help guide you through a difficult situation and a tough decision?

Core values are fundamental. If someone can’t adhere to certain values that the company holds high, that means they’re not going to be a good fit. Jeff Sass

Consider how you’re contributing to the problem before making the decision

We’re quick to blame our co-partner or our employees and fall into thinking that we need to fire people, but have you thought about what you bring to the equation? Have you considered your part before you decide to fire someone?

Colin reflects on his working environments and questions whether entrepreneurs aren’t leading the employees or directing them in a way they should be. If your employee is falling short, are they aware of it? Have you told them?

“I don’t believe we give employees enough information because these are small environments, and I think sometimes we should look internally at ourselves and say, ‘Well, you know what? We need to set the parameters. We need to set the metrics. We need to set the tone. We need to set exactly what we want and our expectations for this employee’, but we don’t do that because we’re too comfortable.” – Colin C. Campbell.

Read more and tune in to the session here: https://startup.club/should-you-fire-a-friend/