Why Firing Your Underperforming Worker Could Be the Worst Thing You Could Do - Part 1

Do you remember Sea-Monkeys? Or, if you are under 40, did you ever hear your parents talk about Sea-Monkeys??

Sea-Monkeys were a novelty item created in 1957. They were alive -but not found in nature. Sea-Monkeys were eggs bred in a lab from brine shrimp. They were sold as “instant pets” through advertisements in kids’ comic books in the 1960s and early 1970s.

You ordered a kit and poured a packet of “Water Purifier” into water (distilled was preferred, but tap would do).??

And then you waited. After a day or two, these tiny shrimp-like… shrimp would hatch. They would move around the bowl, tank, or whatever you used to hold the Sea-Monkeys.?

Oftentimes, here’s what really happened. You waited… and waited… and waited. But the Sea-Monkeys never appeared. Many a kid would experience disappointment because the eggs never hatched.?

Even if they did hatch, they looked nothing like the pictures of Sea-Monkeys in the advertisements or packages they came in. Again, that childhood disappointment.?

You felt like you had been robbed.?

And now it’s happening in your business.?

You brought a team member on to really enhance the future of your organization. You had such high hopes, but now you feel the mighty sting of seamonkey disappointment on yourself already...because they didn’t live up to your expectations.?

As a business owner or senior manager, it is disturbing to have one or more underperforming employees in your company.?

What did you do wrong? Did you oversell the position? Are you not such a keen judge of talent??

You are having buyer’s remorse. You may feel your only choice is to fire the underperforming employee. It’s not something to which you look forward.

Is there an alternative??

There is! If you learn this strategy it could turn a blunder into a real “boon” for your business. Stay tuned for next week's article to see how to tap into what we call: “The Turnaround Effect”.?

David Goodall is a business and life coach in Raleigh, NC. He is the founder of TapMental. He works with clients (many of them blue-collar business owners) to reduce stress, anxiety and other negative emotions.?

If you are having issues with underperforming employees in your blue-collar business, David can help you help reallocate those employees’ responsibilities to make them happy and productive. Call him at 984-884-1280 or email him at [email protected].

You can also schedule a call with him here.