Recently I’ve had multiple clients experiencing staffing issues. This can be very frustrating when you are trying to provide your clients with the very best service. Not to mention the time, energy and focus it can take away from higher-level issues; strategy, growth, and your longer term view.
Before we talk about goodbye, here are a couple of tips to ensure you are doing your best as a leader to give your people every chance to succeed.
- First, to repeat what I’ve said before, be clear with specific direction when you are delegating any task, even if it has been performed before.
- Provide regular feedback, both constructive and positive. Don’t wait for the ‘yearly review’, do this consistently.
- When they get it right, make sure they know.
- Give them the tools, training, support and encouragement to support their growth.
But let me be clear. When you have done everything you can do to support their success, and they still don’t measure up, you are both better off moving on. Obviously this is not the right position or place for them. By keeping them on at this point you are lowering the bar and setting a very bad example for the rest of your team. You’ve done your best. Now it’s time to say goodbye and find the right person to invest your time and energy into.
