Firing people is never fun, unless you’re the kind of boss who someone is better off not working for. But firing people is almost inevitable, especially as your team and business grows. Better to be prepared!

Today, we take a hard look at this hard — but necessary — task.

Besides the obvious cringe-worthiness of taking someone’s living away, firing people is uncomfortable because it’s not just about their failure. If you hired this person, it means you messed up too, miscalculating whether they’d be a good fit. 

Plus, people tend not to take getting fired very well.

That said, you can prepare. You can take an approach to parting ways that’s healthy, respectful, and defensible — even to yourself. It’s your job to put the business first, even over an individual employee who’s not working out. And it’s your right to say goodbye when the time is right.

Learn a few strategies for making a difficult conversation a little easier, and a lot more constructive. Click Play at the top of the page!