Why you may need to fire high performers quickly.

Recently, someone close to me called in distress to chat about an issue in their workplace. There's this guy that was recently hired as an all-star performer. The type that brings in a ton of business. And for the higher-ups, the hire is seen as a brilliant power move. So what's the issue, you may be thinking. This same guy, with all the cunning brilliance and know-how to swoon new customers in, treats people in the office like they are completely beneath him. And the trouble is, it's not that every interaction is bad. But just enough that he belittles and treats others like they are less-than.

At some point, every team-building leader will come across this scenario. And yes, while the better you get at hiring for both culture fit and skills combined you will see less of it, it's inevitable you'll experience it at least once. So how do you handle the situation?

My very first mentor in business once drew a simple chart in the dirt at an off-site meeting that I'll never forget:

He would say, "So you have someone with high values that respects people and is completely sold out to the team culture. But their performance isn't so great. What do you do? Work with them. Train them. Resource them. Help them get better. What about the person with super high performance, the team all-star that is seemingly single-handedly growing the business, but they have low values? They take advantage of people, and will do anything at the expense of winning the performance game."

Now, it's temping right here to think, "Well, you work with them to improve in this area. To see the error of their ways."

My mentor simply said, "You fire them as fast as you can."

You see, people like this are toxic to the organization. Sure, at first all seems well, but eventually they destroy culture. And you'll be left wondering what happened as they move on to the next place in search of greatness.

Sure, at first all seems well, but eventually they destroy culture.

By the way, those with high values and high performance? You get out of their way. You ask what they need. You clear the path for them. And low values and low performance was just a really bad hiring decision.

In my experience there are times when you can work with someone to get them to a better spot. Maybe they have signs of high values, but under stress become irritable or short-tempered. Or no one has ever given them the proper, helpful feedback to improve their interpersonal skills. This is where coaching comes into play. They need a coach that can regularly walk them through these issues. Make sure the expectations are clear, that there is a plan of action and a regular way to measure improvement.

So what about my friend's dilemma? I suspect the guy has it in him to change based on all I’ve heard. But his leader will have to listen to the feedback from the co-workers and take action either way. Easier said than done. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is fire them, giving them the kick in the pants they need. This is another excellent reason even the top leaders need access to external coaching. These situations often require a different perspective from outside of the day-to-day to help them process.

Jack Welch once famously said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

I've been there. I've been lucky to have access to leaders and coaches over the years to help me in these situations and more. And now it's a joy to help others through KWS Solutions. Don't do it alone. And remember, words matter more than you may think.