But what is that one thing? That one thing is you’re going to hire someone and then come to regret it. Some of you reading this are probably already laughing because you know exactly what I mean. Others could be in the midst of this right now, so you might not think it’s so funny. No matter how established you are, remember that this happens to all of us, but matters even more are the actions you take next.
1) Don’t Take It Personally
Anytime you hire someone, whether an employee or a service provider, you’re rolling the dice. Regardless of how well someone interviews or the bank of credentials and references they bring with them, sometimes the fit just isn’t right between the two parties. What makes this so difficult for most small business owners is they take it personally.
You want the people around you to succeed, because in fact, you want to succeed. Your underperformers are daily reminders that things are not working out as well as you desire and whether you recognize it or not, not doing anything about it will slowly erode your own confidence as a leader.
2) Take Action
When you are faced with these situations, take charge and be prepared to take action. No matter how much you hope and pray for the situation to get better, unless you do something there is no possibility of it happening.
More times than not, I find when you really look into the details involved in underperformance and work specifically on those areas with the individual, in terms of feedback and development, they can be successful. Too many times, underperformance is generalized to the person and it can be difficult to see what steps can be taken to grow the individual. There will be times, when there isn’t a fit, although in getting specific about what needs to be developed in an underperformer, you will be able to make a meaningful decision for you and your company.
Cathy is a Senior Partner in DiscoverYou, a company, focused on developing leaders through proprietary training and development programs. Cathy is a guest blogger and speaker on the topics of leadership, engagement and business and writes her own weekly blog for DiscoverYou. She is the co-author of two books; It Is What It Is, Or Is It…All About Business and the award winning book, You Couldn’t Have Told Me This Before I Started My Business?. Contact Cathy directly at Cathy@DiscoverYou.me.
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Totally agree and learn from the experience so that when you hire anyone in the future the person fits the role profile, values of the business etc so that you get a best fit. Too many businesses hire square pegs and try to force them into round holes!