Not too long ago I was talking with a business leader who had to let some people go. Since I always like to learn from other leaders I asked him what made him take so long before letting these people go. A few thoughts came to mind such as the challenge of change, the uncertainty of the unknown and providing time to grow into a person worth keeping. 
This last reason caught my attention. We sat there and discussed the criteria we should consider as leaders to determine whether the individual will grow or if the time to part ways has arrived. Below are four criteria to consider.
Time
In the spring my wife plants a vegetable garden. I would love if the plants popped up the next day, but that is not how it works. They require sunlight, water, and time to grow. As humans we are the same. When we start in a new environment, we need time to understand how to perform certain aspects of the job and navigate organizational culture dynamics. Before seriously considering letting someone go, we must consider if he or she has had adequate time to demonstrate ability to perform the job.
Behavior
We all have bad days and can have a sour attitude from time to time. The question to consider here is whether the behavior we see from the individual is consistent. We have all heard how a bad apple spoils the bunch. If this individual has behavior that negatively impacts the culture and performance of the team we need to have some candid and caring conversations. If the behavior remains, it may be time to make a change.
Performance
This may be the easiest criteria to evaluate because often objective measures exist to assess performance. Is the individual not showing up on time or failing to complete the work given to him or her? Maybe the individual has not been meeting his or her goals consistently and you have had multiple conversations. When performance issues have been clearly addressed and performance has not improved, change is probably the next step.
Expectations
Often when I work one on one with business owners and leaders I find problems arise when their expectations of others are unclear. This is where leaders must look honestly in the mirror to determine if any of the challenges they are facing are because of their lack of clarity.
If leaders want an individual to grow to a certain level they must paint a picture of the future for them. When expectations are clearly defined then both people will know if they are heading in the right direction. If expectations are unclear to the leader, they will be unclear to the led. Clarity here is essential to answer if they go or if they grow. The clearer the expectations the better the result.
Are you facing a difficult employee decision? Take time to look at these four areas and determine what is the best next step for you and for your organization. Lead Well.
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