When you used the example of an employee about to get fired you stated, "I knew it when she started talking about wanting to buy a new car. I quietly told her that it was a risky move in this economy". If I understood this correctly I contend that in lieu of speaking in tongues and secret meanings about not buying another car a greater service is done by explaining how they are effing up and they are on borrowed time. In my mind it does the employee a disservice by not attempting to mentor and grow them into what they were not before.
We agree to disagree and I am ok with that. Just a difference in philosophies.
Contrary to earlier statements I too live in teh real world. I just don't believe that we cannot be competitive by having higher standards of how we conduct ourselves.
I couldn't tell her at that point. Things have to play out. The decision had been made. I can't get her replacement in immediately and I can't go lagging for two weeks while I wait around.
She's been "counseled" and "mentored" and written up and scolded. She just isn't getting it done. Her personal shiitake continues to impact the business. And she's out. Replacement on the way. If you think you can mentor her into competency, she's all fucking yours. I'll send you her address and phone number. And also the phone number to her married boyfriend. And her estranged husband. And her kid's five doctors. And her back doctor. And her bowling league captain. And her hair stylist that only works on days she's schedule to work. And her manicurist who only works on days she's supposed to work. And her mechanic. And her vet...
It's business.
When big companies do layoffs do you think they just decide that day who is going to be canned? Nope. They talk about it for weeks -- months -- prior and make the decisions. They've usually got boards up on the wall where they scratch out names and put them back on when they can scratch another one. But they don't tell the employees who are going to be affected.
When I worked at another company I watched my bosses decide who got to stay and who was laid off by flipping a damn coin when it was between two that had relatively similar skill sets and none or both had solid backing. We couldn't tell them.
It's just business.