Firing a team member can be an emotional exercise, but you can’t ignore the related mechanical aspects.
In fact, if you just “focus on the feelz” and brush aside the nuts and bolts, you can end up with gaping holes in your business.
You are firing the team member to improve your product and make your business better. If you fire someone without a plan, you might set yourself—and your clients—back.
Here, I’ll give you a starting-point checklist so you can make a staff member’s departure as smooth as possible.
A Basic Firing Checklist
The tasks listed below must be addressed, but timing is important. If you do some things too soon, you can alert the person to what’s coming, which will prevent you from being able to control the situation.
Do you want a coach stomping into class and yelling, “So you’re going to fire me today?”
Definitely not.
To stay in the driver’s seat, it’s best to get a very small number of trusted team members ready to take care of everything quickly as soon as the firing takes place. If remaining team members have their responsibilities laid out, you can simply say “execute the plan now” as you head into the final meeting with the staff member.
Some things can be done in advance, of course. For example, you can sit down and make a list of clients who will need new trainers and plan for replacement. But it would be a mistake to lock a trainer out of your software a week before you plan to fire.
You should also assume that people cannot keep secrets. If you say “between you and me” to several people, your confidential info won’t be confidential for long.
Here’s your list:
- Review terms of contract/employment and obtain legal counsel.
- Make a list of all the passwords and security codes you need to update, and set the date and time for updating.
- Make a list of all the tools and property you need to collect (keys, pass cards, computers, phones you issued, etc.).
- Reassign fired staff member’s clients and prepare to notify them when the time is right.
- Reassign other duties.
- Message remaining staff members.
- Pay final invoice.
- Cancel access to all digital business systems, including website, email, appointment calendar, etc.
- Remove access to all social properties and groups.
- Set-up email forwarding for one month.
- Reassign ownership of Google drive.
- Remove bio on website and social accounts.
- Have someone “neutral” available to help the person get their things. The “impartial assistant” can have a box ready and genuinely say, “I don’t know anything. I just want to help you pack up.”
If you have all that covered, here are the last two steps:
- Execute on all time-sensitive elements, fire staff member, collect your property and help the departed collect their things.
- Get back to building your business.
Dealing With Blowback
In many cases, the firing is the end of the problem.
But you can stir up a firestorm if you gossip, play dirty or attack the departed coach. Unkind words have a habit of reaching the wrong ears quickly.
The best plan? Be professional and keep details out of it: “Coach X is moving on, and we wish them the best.”
I’ve often used a kind, thankful “retirement post” to acknowledge a staff member’s departure and contributions. This can work when a coach actually retires or when the coach is “forced” into retirement. Clients won’t know the difference, and this plan allows the coach to save face.
In extreme cases, the departed might go wild on social media or elsewhere. Some people like to burn bridges and make a mess on the way out.
The best practice is to ignore the attacks, focus on your clients, and keep improving your business. Don’t “wrestle the pig” in public or you’ll end up dirty, too.
It’s hard for a person to keep attacking if you don’t offer any response, and the departed staff member usually moves on soon enough.
Need Help?
Firing a coach can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.
Two-Brain clients work with mentors to create plans for staff changes. An expert can help you avoid mistakes, reassure you that you’re doing the best thing for your business, hold you accountable so you take action and get you focused on your next gym-building task after you’ve removed the staff member.
Onward and upward!
Click here to talk about working with a mentor.
