Letting Someone Go on a Small Team

Summary

• When you have to let someone go, always speak respectfully and empathetically to the team.
• Announce the news in a considerate way. For example, you could say, "I have some really unfortunate news to share. Today, I let go of Jenny. Jenny is a fantastic person, and I know many of you are friends with her. I hope you maintain your relationship outside of work."
• To respect the person leaving, don't go into too much detail about why they were let go. Simply say, "We felt like it wasn't a fit."
• Encourage the team to come to you privately with any questions to avoid gossip and maintain respect for the person who was let go.
• Be as transparent as you can about the situation while respecting confidentiality.
• After the announcement, reach out to people individually, especially those who were close to the person leaving, and schedule one-on-one calls to address their concerns and provide support.

Video

How To Take Action

Handling Letting Someone Go

I would suggest implementing these steps to let someone go while minimizing negative impact on your team:

1. Speak Respectfully and Empathetically:
When delivering the news, use a kind and sincere tone. For example, say something like, "I have some really unfortunate news to share. Today, I let go of Jenny. Jenny is a fantastic person, and I know many of you are friends with her. I hope you maintain your relationship outside of work."

2. Be Considerate:
Announce the news gently and brace the team for the information. This approach shows you understand their feelings and value their relationships.

3. Maintain Confidentiality:
To respect the person who was let go, avoid going into too much detail about why they were let go. Simply state, "We felt like it wasn't a fit." This respects their privacy and avoids potential gossip.

4. Encourage Private Questions:
Invite team members to ask you questions privately. This helps them get the information they need while avoiding public discussions that can lead to gossip and hurt feelings.

5. Be Transparent:
Share as much information as you can without breaching confidentiality. This approach helps build trust and ensures the team feels informed and valued.

6. Offer Individual Support:
After the announcement, reach out individually to team members who were close to the person leaving. Schedule one-on-one calls to address their concerns and provide support. This personalized touch helps them feel cared for and heard, reducing anxiety and speculation.

By following these steps, you can handle letting someone go in a way that respects everyone's feelings and maintains a positive team environment.

Full Transcript

when you have to let somebody go how do you mitigate the potential negative consequences of like letting go one person when they have such a strong connection to each other especially for such a small tightnit team I try to always speak in the most respectful way possible for example I might say like I have to let you guys know some really unfortunate news I think this is going to be hard for some of you guys to hear brace them today I let go of Jenny Jenny is a fantastic person I know that many of you are friends with Jenny I hope you maintain a relationship outside of work and out of respect to Jenny I don't want to say much more other than we felt like it wasn't a fit please after today like if you have any questions please ask me privately I would like to refrain from Gossip out of respect to her I try to be as transparent as possible about these things so if you guys have any questions let me know and then I will reach out to people individually and schedule like individual calls with people who are close to somebody if I let them go