Thursday, October 8, 2015

Shedding good employees who just can’t keep up: A humane, sensible approach

by Tim Gould


Good thing: Many U.S. companies are reinventing themselves, preparing for success in a ever-accelerating business climate. Bad thing: Some of your employees just aren’t going to be able to keep up.  


Pat Wadors, senior VP of global talent organization at LinkedIn, recently explained employers’ dilemma in a post on the Harvard Business Review blog: “In order to grow, they may have to part ways with collegial, talented employees who just aren’t the right fit anymore.”

How can your managers handle what’s bound to be a tricky transition for everybody? Here’s a sampling of Wador’s suggestions.

  • Don’t wait until the end to say what’s been working and what hasn’t. Although most struggling employees will have a sense they’re not doing as well as they could be, it’s still important for managers to provide continuous feedback. Says Wador: “When you have criticism, start by thanking people for their work and contributions, and highlighting what you do like.  That makes it easier for them to absorb what you’re saying and to ask probing questions when you point to areas for further development. And ask them questions: Do they see the gaps that you see? What are they experiencing?”If they continue to struggle, ask them to talk about how they think they’ve been doing. Often, that’ll help people open up about their frustrations and fears. “Seek to understand how people have evolved in their roles and what gets them motivated,” writes Wadors. “It may be that you haven’t tapped their full potential yet because you haven’t provided the right kind of support or meaningful incentives.”
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