\u201cCoach\u2019s Forum\u201d is a place in which you can ask your questions, tell your stories or give your opinions on any aspect of practice management. For each column, George selects the most interesting and relevant comments from readers and offers his advice. Our objective is to build a community of advisors with a common interest in making their practices as effective as possible. <\/i>
> A Mismatch For The Job<\/b>
Advisor:<\/b> My executive assistant has been with me for about 14 months now. However, over the past six months or so, she simply has not been performing her job satisfactorily. It\u2019s like she has lost interest. She often shows up late, doesn\u2019t take any initiative, is careless and makes too many mistakes. I have had a few clients comment on her off-putting attitude and poor behaviour before.
We have had several conversations and, during the last one, I told her that her attitude had to change and her work had to improve or we would have to seriously consider her suitability for the job. I even probed to see if there was something going on in her personal life that was affecting her ability to work. She insisted there wasn\u2019t and said she would \u201cdo better\u201d; but the truth is that she has not.
I have concluded she is simply a mismatch for the job and I have no choice but to fire her. Any advice?
Coach says: <\/b> Terminating anyone is always a serious matter. My experience, however, is that a situation like this seldom comes about overnight, so I am glad to hear that you have spoken to her previously about your concerns.
As an employer, you are perfectly within your right to terminate an employee for unsatisfactory performance. That can be cause enough, provided you can support your decision. I am hoping you followed up your previous discussions with some sort of written notification of her failure to meet the job requirements so you have a sound basis for dismissal.
Unfortunately, some relationships cannot be repaired or the effort required is not justified. If you have come to that conclusion, here are a few \u201crules\u201d to follow:
> Although I suspect you were tempted, firing someone when you are angry is one way to invite trouble. Take time to investigate fully, gather your evidence and objectively weigh the pros and cons of termination.
> Don\u2019t make the event public. Avoid telling other people working in the office or clients: \u201cI am going to fire Martha this afternoon.\u201d Their conduct toward her from that point on, intentional or otherwise, will cause her to lose all dignity. Short of theft, fraud or some other grievous act, no one deserves that, so always conduct discussions around termination in private.
> Script what you are going to say in the termination meeting. You don\u2019t have to follow your script word for word, but writing down your key points and keeping to them enables you to say everything you want to say in a professional manner. It also reduces the risk of being drawn into a debate about your decision.
> Focus on job-related issues, not on personalities or character. Firing someone can be very emotional, and many planned terminations have been aborted at the last minute or partway through the meeting because emotions overcame the facts.
> Prepare an exit checklist. As-suming the termination is to be effective immediately \u2014 which is normally best for all involved \u2014 you should deal with matters such as company-owned property, access to information, security and the like.
> Be sure to address the details of any compensation and temporary continuation of employee benefits. Having your termination agreement in writing for her to take away will ease the strain because she won\u2019t have to try to assess its fairness on the spot, in the midst of the emotions of the event.
> Act quickly, but with confidence. Delaying too long reduces the connection between the triggering behaviour and your decision. However, it is better to be prepared than hasty. There are no hard and fast rules, such as what time of day or day of the week to fire someone, so do it as soon as you are ready.
> Have someone else present, such as your manager, dealer-firm representative or even your spouse to avoid any future claim that you acted inappropriately at any time.
@page_break@> Above all, follow this well-tested advice: \u201cDecide with your head; implement with your heart.\u201d Be sure of your decision, then act firmly but compassionately.
> A Move \u201cUp,\u201d Not \u201cOut\u201d <\/b>
Advisor: <\/b>Another advisor and I are merging our practices. He will be retiring in a couple of years, and I represent his succession plan. In our discussions around how to communicate the buyout to his clients in a positive light, we wondered if we should create an entirely new brand for the combined entity \u2014 new name, logo, brochure, tag line, etc. \u2014 to put a new spin on the business. The objective would be to have the merger perceived as a move \u201cup\u201d rather than \u201cout\u201d for him. My son is in a graphic arts program and he needs a project for an assignment, so it wouldn\u2019t cost us much. What do you think?
Coach says: <\/b>First of all, congratulations on two fronts: your timing and your intention. Most successful succession plans I\u2019ve seen have taken at least two years to complete smoothly, so you are starting just in time. Second, positioning the transition as a merger rather than a takeover increases the comfort level of clients and leads to better client retention.
Your brand is a critical component of your overall marketing efforts. Yes, to some extent, it is about the \u201cspin\u201d you put on your business \u2014 the look, the feel and the impression that people have about you and what you do. But it is also so much more. Your personal brand is the face of everything you do.
At every point of contact between you and your clients or potential clients, your brand makes an impact. So, it goes far beyond things such as logos and brochures; it extends to how you dress and speak, the atmosphere in your office, the attitude of your team, the rigour of your discovery process, the clarity of your presentations, and so on.
Your brand must be tailored to the unique values of your practice and your way of doing things. I\u2019d suggest you involve as many of your stakeholders in the process as possible. After all, aside from you, who knows more about your business than your clients and your staff? These people are easily accessible sources of valuable information for your branding strategy.
Your brand is also an excellent way to advance your long-term vision throughout the organization, as the succession plan progresses. Your brand helps you to involve, educate and align everyone around your objectives, your values and your view of the future.
The most important asset in your practice is your support team. They interact every day with clients, colleagues, suppliers, competitors and industry experts, to name a few. But they also interact with an impressive number of people totally disconnected from your business, such as family, friends, former colleagues and many others. Hence, they serve as your most important brand ambassadors, through word of mouth.
Don\u2019t make promises you can\u2019t keep. Remember, your brand tells everyone what to expect from you. The moment of truth for your clients occurs when the brand promise is delivered well \u2014 particularly if you exceed their expectations.
Bring your brand to life through a range of well-planned, well-executed marketing activities, making sure the overall messages are consistent, concise, clear and relevant to your target market. Technology should also play a part. Your own professionally designed, useful and relevant website is a crucial channel for communicating your brand. In the minds of many Internet-savvy clients, if you are not accessible on the Internet, then you do not exist.
With all respect to your son, hire a professional. A powerful brand will pay for itself many times over. In the words of famous oilwell firefighter Red Adair: \u201cIf you think it\u2019s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.\u201d\tIE<\/b>
George Hartman is president and CEO of Market Logics Inc. and a senior coach and facilitator with the Covenant Group. Send questions, comments and opinions on any aspect of practice management to george@marketlogics.ca. <\/i>
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