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Max Kalehoff On Marketing, Media & The Edge…Plus Bonus Insights On Start-Up Culture & Raising Kids.
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Termination Is Hard, But Avoidance Is Destructive

Started by maxkalehoff · 10 months ago

The following also is my latest column in MediaPost.
Termination Is Hard, But Avoidance Is Destructive
Terminating relationships is hard - especially when it’s an employee. But termination-avoidance is one of the greatest risks that can hold a company back.
I’m not an ... Continue reading »

5 comments

  • Max:

    Good post - and a topic I have written on as well.

    A company that does not terminate poor performers will always be behind. The worst think about keeping poor performers on the roster is the message it sends to your high performers - that you don't value them.

    So, protect your poor performers at the risk of losing your high performers.

    TO'B
  • Thanks Tom, great point. It just looks bad. Like a gas station putting bad
    gas in your car and ruining your engine.
  • I think this extends beyond performance. That criterion makes a decision more objective and defensible (despite most people being employed at will), but even high performers need to be terminated sometimes.

    I came across the idea of "emotional contagion" earlier this week - people who propagate negative emotional contagion should be terminated sooner rather than later as well.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_contagion
  • Peter,
    Good point. Your team must invest positive karma. Positive and
    solution-oriented. We're very aware of that at my current startup and
    do everything to cultivate it.
  • Excellent post!

    I think Peter nailed it for me, too. "...unpleasant emotions are more likely to lead to mood contagion than are pleasant emotions." Get the Nay-Saying, mood-altering, viral individual O*U*T - before the contagion spreads and affects morale with a Group Dynamic force.

    But what if "you" are on the receiving end of the termination? Absolutely be outraged, whine and complain, disrespect your Company? No no no! Simply take it as a Life Lesson Learned. Learn, grow, adjust and become all the more better for it.

    I like how you put it, Max: Never be content to "breed mediocrity. "

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