PPB February 2021

These tips will help you terminate an employee in a more compassionate way: Follow the Golden Rule. If you must lay somebody off, the best approach to take is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule is a guiding principle that leaders should live by every day, but never is it more important than when employees are at their most vulnerable. Imagine how you would want to be treated if you were to lose your job and move forward with that in mind. You would not want to hear the bad news via email or a mass Zoom call or be treated as if you didn’t matter to your supervisor and your company. When you must communicate bad news, consider the following guidelines: • Be honest and transparent. Tell them what you know as soon as you know it. If there is something you don’t yet know, tell them that too. • Get the bad news up front. There is no way to do this painlessly, so rip off the Band-Aid. • Spell out exactly how you arrived at the decision to lay people off. For example, you might put things in perspective by explaining how COVID is disrupting the industry. Respect them enough to share your strategy and how the company will move forward. • Be very clear on what will happen next, what the time frame will be, what severance will look like, etc. • Tell them what they will be able to keep. Maybe they’ll be able to keep health care coverage for a while. Some companies may let people keep their computer. • Assure them that being laid off isn’t their fault. • Tell them you love and care about them. Maybe you can’t be by their side physically—but you can be emotionally. When I was at AT&T, I had to lay off my team. When my first teammember came into my office for the meeting, I motioned for him to sit on the sofa instead of in one of the chairs on the opposite side of my desk. I immediately came out from behind my desk and sat right next to my teammember, turning toward him. I was right there next to this employee as I laid out the details of what was going to happen. Obviously, this physical closeness can’t happen now due to social distancing, but leaders can and must find a way to keep that spirit of human connection and caring prominent—even if you must deliver the bad news via video chat. Schedule a one-on-one meeting when you have a lot of time, because you will want to offer plenty of space for the conversation. If you keep your message authentic, from the heart, and honest, they are most likely to receive it well. Spell out their unique strengths—and reassure them that they’ll be able to leverage those strengths again. This is a time, in particular, when people need to be reminded of the gifts they bring to the table. Be specific as you recount the many contributions the person has made to the team and the organization. Share howmuch you honor, respect and admire them, and remind them that other organizations will recognize and value their skills and abilities as well. Reassure the person that these terrible times won’t last forever. A sense of hope may be the best gift you can give them right now. Help them brainstorm their next step. After you have broken the news, roll up your sleeves and make yourself an ally to your employee as they begin envisioning their future. Discuss with themwhat they would really love to be doing going forward. Brainstorm about the type of jobs they would love to have. Review the kind of companies in the local region or elsewhere that might have good opportunities for them to do the things they really want to do. To get the ball rolling, ask, “What is important to you in life, | FEBRUARY 2021 | 53 THINK