you’re fired

a few years ago, thanks to donald trump, this asinine phrase passed the lips of millions.
the reality for most small business owners like me is a bit less dramatic.
so how do you say good-bye? though i’ve practiced many curt declaratives,
“you suck, can i have your key?” has never been my style.

i’m a big wuss when it comes to letting people go. i usually try to soften the ground weeks in advance. this either gets them motivated to fall in line with the team
or it allows them a graceful exit with enough time to plan their next move.
unfortunately, some people just don’t get it.
i’ve also used the downsize trick. “things are so slow and i don’t know if i have enough hours for you so maybe it’s time you looked for a supplemental position”.
what am i supposed to say? “i can see into the future, and you’re not in it”?
one of my neighbors, a savvy businesswomen with a track record i aspire to, once told me to get rid of anyone who showed the slightest sign of not working out.
“you’ll know from the beginning” she said. and so i have.
but i still want to believe the best in people is yet to come.

for lovers of the book the devil wears prada, read no further.
for those who loved the movie, read on.
personally, i loved the character of miranda priestly.
people don’t make it to the top by being ultra sweet.
a whole lot of talent, sacrifice, a bit of good fortune and a solid bottom line is how,
i believe, most people truly succeed in business.
the crazy people around miranda had a choice. they could allow her to make them crazy or quite simply get a clue, get on board and ride to the top.
the character of andie sachs knew this and she made her choice accordingly.
later, at the end of the film, our protagonist chose a different path. that’s life.
one was no better than the other. it was just a choice to move in a different direction.
our whole life is about choice. a series of choices that move us along our path.

in my years as a proprietor of small businesses, i’ve worked with people who were bright, funny, smart, hard working, liars, cheats, thieves, drop-outs, MBAs, PHDs, addicts, codependents, narcissists, and a few who were just plain stupid. it’s to be expected.
it comes with the territory. i made my choices to hire and fire.
years later, in the reckoning, i hope my former employees will look on our time together and see that for me, it was about offering opportunity.
the possibility for achieving brilliance and a chance to seek one’s potential.
sometimes, rare as it may be, it happens.