Strategic Fire

Happy Friday, 

An arborist prunes a tree to make it stronger and more resilient. The rancher culls the herd to maintain its health and economic viability. So too leaders…

Organizations tend to get more of whatever minimum they're willing to tolerate, be it quality, behavior, leadership aptitude, honesty, etcetera. With too much tolerance comes the inevitable drift toward complacency and malaise. 

It takes a serious jolt. A reset that another sternly worded memo or the ever-impotent threat of ‘holding people accountable’ can't deliver. It takes a 'strategic fire'.

We like to believe our coworkers have their act together. But if you lead or employ many humans, you find out the hard way that's an illusion. Not everyone deserves to keep their job, and for the greater good of all, some really do need to go.

Think of strategic firing as organizational defibrillation. A way to shock and reset the heart of the organization, its values, character, integrity, leadership, diligence, excellence, etc.  Here’s an example: Let’s say your organization claims to care about excellence, but you still employ someone who delivers sloppy work. Dismissing them for cause will send these messages to everyone else:

1. Performance Matters - Knowing that the organization values and enforces high performance motivates everyone to up their game.

2. Accountability is Real - It’s not just a toothless buzzword.

3. Fairness and Equity - High performers get rightly frustrated when they see someone getting by with subpar work. When the situation is addressed, people are reassured that the organization is fair and equitable, boosting the morale of those who do make the effort.

4. Commitment to Excellence - Firing for mediocre performance validates the organization's commitment to excellence, inspiring people to take more pride in their work.

5. Leadership Courage - Taking action shows courage and decisiveness, which, believe it or not, earns appreciation and respect.

6. Opportunity for Growth - Firing someone is a serious step, but it also opens opportunities for growth within the team. New talent can be hired or it might motivate existing staff to step up and take on more responsibility.

7. Clarification of Expectations - A dismissal brings into sharp focus what’s expected, prompting people to reassess their own performance, likely resulting in a more focused and driven team.

8. Reinforcement of Organizational Values - Firing someone demonstrates that the organization really does stand for what it printed on the mousepad and is willing to make the difficult decisions to uphold its values. Bravo!

Punchline: The difference between hiring and firing is one letter, but both are integral to effectively leading an organization. Like choosing which branch to prune, strategic firing can convey the message an organization needs to make it stronger and more resilient. Difficult as it is, if you're a leader who hasn't fired anyone for a long time, it's probably overdue. But you already knew that.

Hope you have a great weekend,

Dave

Feedback and blowback are certainly welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

All past topics, including those related to this one, are available at @goodnewsfriday.com

This GNF was written by me, not ChatGPT, with Grammarly watching for errors.