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3 Keys When Firing Someone
Dismissals are inevitable in any profession. But there’s a proper way to go about them.
It’s Championship Week in college basketball — the most thrilling time of the year for players and fans alike.
But amidst the hoopla and hysteria, it can be a darker time for coaches as administrators dole out pink slips in hopes of changing the direction of their programs.
There’s a respectable way to go about these terminations, though, and unfortunately, this doesn’t always seem to be followed.
In two particularly notable cases in recent days, Southern Illinois fired Men’s Basketball Coach Bryan Mullins — then issued an odd press release that sounded like an announcement of a contract extension.
“After losing its top-two scorers in the transfer portal… Southern was picked to finish ninth this year,” the release read. “Instead, the Salukis were in the hunt for a top seed at the MVC Tournament until the final game of the regular season…”
“Mullins finished third in the voting for the league's Coach of the Year award.”
In another firing that raised eyebrows, Utah State Women’s Coach Kayla Ard was let go on Sunday seemingly moments after her team was eliminated from its conference tournament.
This is crazy! After the Utah State women lost tonight, coach Kayla Ard was asked how they rebuild next season - and she says she just got fired. Never seen anything like this.
"I'm assuming that's going to be the last question?"
(Video courtesy of The Mountain West)
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains)
Mar 11, 2024
“I’m not going to be rebuilding. I just coached my last game at Utah State,” Ard told reporters after the game.
“They’re going in a different direction. I respect her decision. I hope they get a really good coach.”
The dismissals have a couple of key lessons for us as leaders who may also have firing capabilities.
When we make the tough decision to let someone go, we have a duty to exhibit class, humility and empathy.
That means:
1. Selecting the proper time and place to inform the person
2. Choosing our words carefully knowing this will likely be one of the tougher days of their lives
3. Expressing our appreciation for their commitment
Dismissals are inevitable in any profession.
But we don’t have to ambush or embarrass the person we’re letting go.
Our failure to exercise logic and compassion today can easily be our own undoing tomorrow.
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