Today I let my administrative assistant go, and it was more difficult that Donald Trump makes it look. But then, maybe I’m less callous than he.
I liked her, I liked her a lot. But the bottom line was that her skill set and what I needed didn’t match well; and I spent more time than I wanted trying to explain things, simplifying them, and generally not adding too much to her workload as she acclimated to the job. She acclimated for over three months and still hadn’t learned all the basics. So I let her go with a check in her hand for the past week’s work.
The last time I fired someone was for totally different reasons. Years ago my ex-husband and I owned a balloon company that we ran out of a retail store on the main street in the town where we lived. We’d hired a manager to run the store but got wind that she was dealing drugs from our shop. I don’t remember all the particulars, but in the end I was the one to confront her and send her packing.
Regardless of the reason, being fired must be an awful experience. Even if there have been counseling sessions where the employee’s work is critiqued the actual firing is usually sudden. Yet, from the employer’s point of view having to do the deed is equally awful. It’s abrupt, unsettling, and requires determination and calm. It also means that you will not reap any long-term benefit from the time you invested in another human being. Quite possibly you have to start over again with someone new.
Which is what I’m doing. I called one of the women who also interviewed for my administrative assistant’s job this past March. Back then, she was my second choice. She will let me know tomorrow if she’s interested. If so, I’ll begin again. If not, I’ll also begin again . . . only with a brand new search.
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