We Don't Fire People. They Fire Themselves.

It was one of the hardest things I've had to do in my thirty-year career. The conversation was emotional, I tried to delay it as long as possible, but it had to happen. This employee had been a rock star for me, so when I came to Florida, I offered him a job, after all, at our old club, the members loved him, and he exceeded expectations. But all that changed when he came down South.

There were enhanced responsibilities with the new position, longer hours, and new procedures. My colleague could not keep up. I offered training, mentoring, and I sent him to conferences for education and growth, but he could not adapt. And what made it worse was that I got the sense he did not want to. I waffled on the decision to let him go. This delayed decision, or should I say the indecision to make a move, haunted me, and even after I did, I felt remorse.

Did I do enough to help? I had offered every life raft I possibly could and even helped him rebound at a smaller club.?But if someone does not want to push themselves to be better, then there's nothing you can do as a manager. This helped me realize, and I think we can all agree that we don't fire people. They end up firing themselves.

As leaders, it's our job to help people grow in their position. There is no set timeframe. It's more of a feeling you get through how they interact with their peers and the respect they earn.?We all strive to make the best hires, but when someone's not the right fit, we should try to find a position in our club that is best suited for them. Sometimes a candidate might not have the right experience for the job that we have open, but they exude leadership. They're bright and understand the complexity of the organization. Those are skills you can't teach. The best managers I have ever worked with or for are those that help you push your ceiling to a higher level. They challenge you to reach new heights professionally and sometimes even personally.

To ensure we add the right staff, I ask candidates, "Why should I hire you"? It's a very basic question that I'm sure we all ask, but the answer is telling. Some people are very self-serving with their responses. Others shockingly don't know. ?However, the person who replies about moving our club forward and talks about being a valued teammate is the person who impresses me most. As leaders, we should hire coachable, empathetic, and excellent communicators, people who understand and anticipate the members' needs. The size of your club doesn't matter. We all have the same challenges, consistency in food and beverage, attentiveness, and service. ?Staff that is coachable can overcome those obstacles. They have a willingness to learn and the ability to change.

We all make tough decisions in our clubs, but the most challenging decision is letting someone go. If you don't let the person go, it can destroy your organization's culture. If you know the person is not the right fit, cut them loose right away, for your sake, and there's. We can all think of one person that can brighten up a room by leaving it. I don't ever want that person working in my organization.