Why firing your team can be the best thing you do this year

I once worked for a company that was famous for “blowing up the team” every 12-18 months. In short, this online business would go through a “transition” that resulted, in one way or another, every single member of the team leaving. Some were let go and others would quit, but this complete turnover, predictably, resulted in a lot of chaos.

When I talk about firing a team, I don’t mean throwing a grenade at your business and watching it all fall to pieces.

See, there’s a good way and a not so good way to fire, and the wrong way can destroy your reputation, hurt continuity, confuse your clients, and more.

And yet, I still recommend that you take a good, long look at your current team and make those hard decisions about firing – just do it the right way.

Why can firing your team be great?

1. Stagnation is stinky. Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut? I can almost guarantee your team has as well. Some people adore routine and doing the same tasks, but if you’ve got team members who hate it then they’re probably bored, tired, and looking for a change. When people start to stagnate, your business can get stinky. Things don’t get done on time. People stop showing up for meetings. Emails are ignored.

By firing or “letting go”, those team members who aren’t growing and actively contributing to the business, you’re flushing out the stank and letting in some fresh air. And sometimes that’s all you need to revitalize your flagging business.

2. Insubordination is driving you crazy. It’s probably subtle and therefore hard to put your finger on. But when you work with your team, you don’t feel like the leader. This is about more than a subordinate providing an opinion or technical expertise.

If your team argues with your choices… when you have to ask for something multiple times or get excuses all the time… maybe your team just does their own thing despite your requests. One of the best examples of this is when clients tell me “I’d really like to use this software but my team didn’t want to move, so we’re still using that software.”

Big. Red. Flag.

3. Your business needs help. Okay, every business needs support in different areas. Yours might be financial if you’re overpaying for under-performing team members. It might be moral support, because there’s a negative nelly on the team who poisons the environment. Perhaps it’s just creative support and you need fresh ideas and energy. There’s a lot of things your business may need right now, and if your current team isn’t getting the job done, then you need to look at what needs to change. Now. Not in a year, not after another quarter.

The bottom line on firing is…

Just rip off the band-aid and do it.

Listen, I could give you a lot of cliches about “moving forward requires letting go”, but most of all I want to validate that feeling deep in your gut that is telling you “this isn’t working out.” It might sting, because yeah, breakups are hard. But on the other side of separation are new opportunities for growth.

I’m not heartless, I know this is a difficult step for many people (myself included!). I believe that most businesses need support in knowing how to get things done.