Three People You Need To Fire

We live in a culture where everyone is a winner, and there is no question that we are all broken people, but sometimes in ministry there can be confusion between showing grace and being afraid to hurt an individual's feelings. When this confusion occurs we have forgotten the second part of Jesus' command to speak truth to one another. The fact of the matter is that there may be people in your organization that probably shouldn't be there. Few people enjoy the process of firing employees, especially in smaller organizations or places of worship, however, at some point a person has to contribute and help bring a team successfully toward a goal. A recent article published byBusiness Week outlines three types of people you need to fire:

• Victims: People who have the victim mentality believe everything associated with their position is in direct opposition to who they are. Instead of seeing opportunities, they only see problems. They feel as if they aren’t paid enough, aren’t respected enough, and that no good will come from their efforts. They tend to shift their energy into complaining and creating chaos rather than contributing to a common good. Be careful when letting victims go. Keep issues and reprimands documented. They’ll likely feel as if they were unjustly fired and may retaliate
• Nonbelievers: If someone doesn’t buy into the vision of your organization, they certainly aren’t going to work very hard on seeing it fulfilled. The nonbelievers consistently have a pessimistic attitude toward the leaders and processes of your company. Skills can always be coached, but vision can’t be sold. Nonbelievers will only take others down their path of questioning, which will eventually lead to conflict and stagnancy.
• Know-it-Alls: Nobody likes a know-it-all. You remember that one person in your class who was always right and made sure everyone knew it.  A know-it-all has his or her mind made up and nothing will shift their perspective. If you’d like your organization to grow and adapt to new cultures and technologies, you’re likely going to face conflict with the know-it-all. Instead of approaching their career as an opportunity to always learn and grow, this person’s objective is to enlighten everyone else.

Keep in mind firing someone out of the blue is never a good idea, but after continuous failed efforts to improve an employee’s performance, sometimes cutting ties is the only remaining option. Not only are you releasing them to find something they can passionately support, you’re freeing up emotional energy in your own organization, which can only catapult it forward.