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I've done a LOT of separations over the years. And like most things that involve humans, the behaviors of both leaders and the employees being separated are very consistent each time- regardless of experience, industry, or competency.

No matter the context, we are all humans operating with all of our human baggage, and that includes even inside business settings where even the tangibles of widgets and KPIs can't escape the realities of our emotions.

As you move through these difficult situations in the future, I hope this guide provides you with a sense of comfort and confidence, knowing it's never an easy "simply business" decision and transaction to let someone go. You're not weak, you're human. And you're not a monster, it is just business, and a healthy part of it at that.

Some Final Tips:
>Don't make this process more difficult on yourself or the individual by allowing yourself to play an inappropriate part in the employee's journey toward acceptance.
>Keep the separation conversation short.
>Be empathetic, but not sympathetic or apologetic if things get emotional. >Set appropriate boundaries in preparation for potential communication afterward. Give yourself and the employee space to process and move through the stages, with support from other, more appropriate, members of their life afterward, even if they reach out to you (or others on staff) during this period with questions, requests, etc.
>Do not be lured to engage in texting with the employee afterward! There are many reasons this is not an appropriate or wise role for you or anyone at the business to play once the separation has occurred.

This is IT. The quality of your leaders determines the quality of your outcomes. And the quality of the efforts YOU put into your leadership (selecting, developing, engaging, rewarding, empowering) is the sole factor in determining the value of this cohort in your business.

This is why when I work with clients, it's not just about identifying and creating compliant and improved policies, procedures, and systems- the real value comes in the implementation. Integrating the enhanced knowledge and tools into regular habits and behaviors of the people in the business. And adoption by the leadership portion of this population is the most critical when it comes to determining the efficacy of all this this work.

I wrote about why Managers are your MVPs over two years ago, and it's even more true now. https://www.allyhrpartners.com/resources/the-forgotten-managers-the-real-mvps-of-your-business