Omar Zenhom walks through firing someone you like without blindsiding them. Give honest feedback, create a written improvement plan with 30, 60, and 90-day milestones, and make clear what success looks like. If they don't hit the goals, the outcome is on them, not you.
How do you fire somebody you genuinely like? Someone the whole team likes? Before you fire anyone, you need to be honest with them. You got to give them a chance to recognize the problem and try to fix it. Be direct, be clear, be kind. Don't be vague. Then you agree on a plan, the specific improvements you're looking for, and clear, measurable expectations. You want them to understand what success looks like in 30 days and 60 days and 90 days. Write it down and make sure you both agree to it. No one ever is blindsided by losing their job. When you go through this process, you put the ball in their court. If they fail at what they agreed upon, then they will be fired. They understand that it's up to them whether they stay or not.
