What should you do? Here are a couple of questions to help you:
- Does the person really know what behaviors would be actively living or denying your core values?
- Has the person shown any remorse and desire to change in your discussions?
If you have not demonstrated what behaviors live your values, you might want to consider some scenario based learning and help the person understand the behaviors you are looking for. However, if there is no desire to change, then you are getting the behavior that you tolerate. Continuing to tolerate this behavior will demonstrate to the rest of your company that core values are optional, and not truly core to building your company. This would be analogous to a cancer in your body that you have chosen to not remove.
Here are a few reasons why its good to make the tough decision and move the employee out:
- You are burning payroll. You are cutting that payroll check every month that can be saved.
- You are modeling poor leadership. Do not expect the rest of your firm to live your core values since you are tolerating this in one person.
- The person in question would be much more successful if they were in a company where their core values were aligned. Don't hold the person back just because you do not have the courage to help him or her move on to find their next and possibly better opportunity.
I know it sounds simple. Maybe too simple. But if you understand your strategy and core values, these decisions should be simple. It is the execution of the decision that is hard. The decision itself should be simple.
