🏁 Axios Finish Line: Friendly fire

Plus: What it's like | Thursday, May 12, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·May 12, 2022 May 12, 2022 Welcome back. Tonight's host — Axios CEO Jim VandeHei — loves all the feedback we're getting: jim@axios.com. Smart Brevity™ count: 585 words ... 2½ minutes.     1 big thing: How to fire with dignity Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   The first time I fired someone, it was a debacle, Jim recalls. It was early 2007. John Harris, one of our Politico co-founders, and I decided we had to let one of our early employees go. Back then, I was as subtle as a sledgehammer. We called the guy in and I recited all the things he was bad at — and told him he was canned. The poor guy never saw it coming. Afterward, Harris turned to me: "Um, I will handle the firing thing from now on." Why it matters: We weren't wrong about the guy's performance. But we were wrong about how we handled it. My lack of finesse — and dignity in delivery — got me an F. With time, I radically reshaped how I thought about letting people go. First, the obvious: No one wants to fire or be fired. It sucks. But here's a cold, hard truth about running a business: You sometimes hire the wrong person for the wrong job at the wrong time. You need to act the moment you realize it can't be corrected. Otherwise, your company or team will suffer and stagnate. One of the biggest mistakes managers make is rationalizing not making the hard, right move. There are ways to do this with grace and class: No surprises: By the time someone comes into a meeting to be fired, it should be clear to all what's about to happen and why. This is where candor matters most: If you're giving or getting unvarnished feedback — and clear instructions on what needs to improve and on what timeline — the end should be obvious to all. Don't wait: So many people duck hard, uncomfortable discussions. It's a terrible way to treat people. Anyone who isn't living up to expectations should know with total precision why — and what they must do to improve. Be gracious: Most people don't get fired for stealing or scandal. It's usually not the right fit, or right season of life for the company or individual. Be clear and direct, but don't over-explain or get dragged into a point-by-point debate. The departing employee should take the awful moment to listen, learn and self-correct. Be classy: One trick for easing the pain — and stain — of getting fired is giving the person time to leave on their own, and find another job from a position of strength. The bottom line: Now that we practice this approach, we've had people later thank us for letting them go, and how it was handled. Share this story.     A message from Axios Leadership insight on strengthening workplace culture     Leaders at Salesforce, UPS, Lyft, and more identified the simplest, yet most effective strategies to elevate workplace communications. Implement these innovative tips to help your teams survive and culture thrive in Hybrid 2.0. Get the free report.     🥾 People who got the boot Photos: Getty Images   Plenty of successful people have been fired — and bounced back harder. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he started. He later came back, and the rest is history. Oprah Winfrey was ousted from her first TV anchor job. Now she's one of the most prolific TV personalities in history. Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, was fired from Harper's Bazaar. "Everyone should be sacked at least once in their career because perfection doesn't exist," she told Alistair Campbell for his book "Winners and How They Succeed." Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, was booted from Citigroup. He remained resilient because "it was my net worth, not my self worth, that was involved," he told the Coffee with The Greats podcast.   Thanks for reading. Invite your friends to sign up here. Like this email style and format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: