I Have To Fire Someone

published 31 May 2008

Dear CC: I'm a young boss and have to do my first firing.

Any advice?

Have someone else in the room with you for the deed, from HR

preferably. You'll be nervous, but not nearly as nervous as the incipient

victim. CC advises to get right to it. No circuitous routes, no platitudes,

and, dear God, no "This is tough on me too." Come right out and say,

"Tiffany, we're letting you go. Your last day is this Friday, and HR is

waiting to meet you upstairs about your severance package." It's OK to go

into the reasons: company restructuring, continued performance problems, ordering

the olive loaf in front of a big client. But keep it basic. You don't want to

talk yourself into legal troubles. CC once had to fire a guy who was public

about his love of guns. CC took a few days off and bought a wig.