Fall Out...

Tensions were high after the termination, and my staff was visibly shaken. I pulled them individually into my office to discuss the situation.

When a leader has to make a decision that others do not understand, and especially when it involves a well-liked peer, it’s important to stabilize, and reassure your team quickly. This tactic is also known as damage control.

I pulled each one of my staff members into my office and asked how they were doing. They were a little puzzled at my questioning at first. I explained that when tough decisions are made, and the result is that a staff member loses their job, the other members have a tendency to feel threatened if they do not know or understand the circumstances surrounding the separation.

I explained to each of them that an expectation was set and this employee, despite repeated chances, continued to fail to meet those expectations. This person’s own choices, decisions, and actions created a situation that prevented us from being able to do business.

This move had an immediate calming effect on my staff which was exactly what it was intended to do.

HR on the other hand became a poster child for the emotionally distressed. She cried constantly that day. I pulled her into my office to try and line her out. I told her that it was fine to miss the Pretender, but that it was unacceptable to have such an uncontrollable outburst of emotion. I explained to her that the floor would react based on how we (the leaders) react. If they see that life goes on for us, it goes on for them. If they see that we are emotionally upset, it will add to the emotional instability of the situation, and they will think they have a need to be upset.

Despite my conversations, HR did not improve. Not only did she not improve, she began to wear this bright, plush, purple jacket, with a giant Fat Albert across the back in memory of the fallen supervisor.

It was the Pretenders Jacket…

How could anyone in the site, especially the reps, move on when a member of my core take had made a conscious decision not to…
The Pretender was down and out, and now HR was really starting to tick me off…