When they don't Listen!!!

If you aren't a Mark Antony, you'll realize that people will not always listen to you. If you are not a Cleopatra, you will realize that people will not listen to you anyway. Genders matter and you cannot deny it. This blog, however, is not about any of that. I just wrote it because it seemed good.

This blog is going to be about the HR challenges that people face in real-time, especially when they are like me i.e. they have started a business and are managing a team of different types of people, not all of whom are endearing to work with.

However, considering that you as the founder have been instrumental in getting them on board, the choices ahead become tough. Of course, there is a supremely irritating frustration of working with these peeps. Your instant thought is to throw them out because, "well, they are still on probation and they aren't fitting in well with the company culture", but then, what is the company culture even?

Also, it is killing your productivity, and you cannot tolerate this shit any further because you literally have N NUMBER OF THINGS TO DO, NONE OF WHICH INVOLVE WASTING THE TIME!

Well, presented with this situation, I thought, thought, and thought and found a few solutions which I think work or worked for me!

Remember that YOU hired them

You'll be surprised at the kind of perspective this gives. You hired them, so even if they are nincompoops, you were being a nincompoop when you hired them. You may also have hired them because at that time, that was all you could afford and hence you needed to adjust but then you grew but they couldn't. However, at one point in time, you were happy about whatever they were doing. It made you feel better about being in charge and things were being taken care of. Just because things have changed now, doesn't mean that they have become "doodh me padi makkhi". They are still the same people. I know that this is too much of a negotiation to do with a frustrated self but then, haven't you always been better than that?

Talking about Firing, Reduces its Impact

You simply cannot scare people with the fact that you can fire them. At least, that is what I think, and especially when it is about Firing, you have to lead by example. A very sorry thing to say but once when I had to talk about the firing, I mentioned it only when I had already fired somebody. One may say whatever, but everyone needs to have a fear of losing something. You cannot have too much of it but the complete lack of it leads to anarchy.

So, you put someone under review and tell them that they will be fired for misconduct/non-performance or you fire them straight away. But, there is no, "I CAN FIRE" stuff.

Sit and talk as you find a replacement

This brings us to the fact that once you have put someone under review or put them on notice, make sure that you have already started working on a replacement. After all, the person will then know that their services may soon no longer be required, and hence it is okay for them to search elsewhere. You may be expecting them to improve but all that they would do would think of running away. Thus, You need to think of the business too and while the world will make a demon out of me for saying this, if you are doing a business, you have to think of the worst in people sometimes- it's just how the instincts kick in. It's that simple and clear.

Let them answer for themselves

Everyone deserves closure. The person being asked to leave is no exception. Hence, make a clear, and very detailed list of circumstances that led to the unfortunate decision. Also, it is okay to let the person decide for themselves, do they deserve a second chance even?

Do they feel sorry about whatever they did or did not do and would they be okay to correct it?

In case attitudes, and excuses get thrown in, you'll at least not feel guilty about taking this harsh step.

You aren't an ice-cream seller

AND SO, you cannot keep everyone happy. Thus, harsh decisions will be required. No one ever said that these calls will be easy but then, the path you chose, was it supposed to be easy?

Sometimes it would be someone you really liked but you'll have to let go because they aren't performing at all.

Sometimes, you will have to let go of a good performer for their impossible attitude too.

At the end of the day, you have to think about the overall team, the business, and yourself too.

So, either keep up with the shit and let there be a shit storm or make sure it gets cleaned up by sweeping a broom!

The choice is yours!