When to hold on vs. when to let go

Together With

Good morning and happy Saturday.  Over a decade in this industry, I still believe nothing brings a team together like a good old-fashioned pot-luck party where everyone makes their favorite dish.  

Sharing a part of yourself through food creates an emotional experience and intimacy with others.

Break bread with your team over conversations about everyone's favorite handcrafted dish.  You will never regret it.

Elevate your leadership

Today's topic is a tough one to discuss for me and an area I have often struggled with over the years.

How do you know when to let a team member go?

I'm not talking about the egregious acts or employees whose values are not a good fit.

I am talking about the team member moving two steps forward and one step backward.  Or the one giving everything they've got but still not producing.  How about the employee that drives remarkable outcomes but leaves a wake of chaos everywhere they go?

How do you balance your head telling you it's time to part ways, but your heart is begging you not to give up on them yet?

I have recently developed a guide to help me traverse this path. 

I would love to hear your thoughts for or against this article and other viewpoints you may have on this topic that we can share with our community of readers.

These are the questions I reflect on and seek to understand with my team.

Does this person add to or take away from our culture?

There is no neutral when it comes to culture.  Everyone within your organization is either adding to or subtracting from the culture.  In my mind, someone that is adding to our culture and struggling in other areas could have a longer runway of support and coaching.  The saying "your culture is how you allow others to act" comes to mind.

Are we at risk of losing other valuable team members by allowing this employee to stay?

There is always always a ripple effect when someone isn't performing.  As a younger or newer leader I often missed the signs that others were frustrated and felt as though they needed to overcompensate or couldn't perform to their own potential because a team member was getting in the way.  

Do I want it more than them?

Potential is important, but progress can't be sustained without the will to learn and grow.  You simply can't want them to be successful more than they want to succeed.

Where do we see the team in six months if the employee continues and where do we see the team in six months if the employee leaves?

When you're knee deep in it and will feel the pain of having a position vacant it's hard to not let it impact your decision.  I find it helpful to imagine what life is like six months from now. 

What examples of progress and growth have we seen? 

Big or small, past or current examples of progress can be turned into momentum for future gains.  What small wins have we seen that we can leverage into sustainable improvement?

Lastly, and most importantly, what can we do differently to help this person be successful?  Said slightly different, what should we have done to support this employees success?

100% of the time when an employee or team member isn't successful we as leaders have to look in the mirror and admit that in one or more ways we failed them.  Discussing this openly and honestly is the only way to learn and grow.  It's easy 

I would love to hear and learn from you on this topic.  How do you know when its time?

Take a step toward efficiency

Together with Accushield

Each week I try to accomplish a single task at home or at work that will provide exponential efficiency in the future.  Last week, I bought and labeled three mail bins in my home office and labeled them new mail, bills that need to be paid, and paid bills.  I was wasting time every month digging through bills and trying to remember which ones I had already paid.  It took 5 minutes and will save me 30 minutes each month moving forward—exponential efficiency.

A few months ago, we became exponentially more efficient in our communities by installing the Accushield sign-in kiosks.  A decision that took minimal time and effort and continues to save my team members several hours each day.  Not to mention, I no longer am dedicating staffing to screening residents and visitors and have reallocated those resources to resident care—exponential efficiency.

Reach them at sales@accushield.com and learn more about their product here.

Grab your coffee and make it a great day.  We appreciate you and your dedication to your team and residents. -Thank you!