Sacking people

This is never easy and mercifully I have done it little. Yes I have had at times to do it but it is distasteful for the manager and cruel for the recipient.

All but one of my 'sacking's were redundancies which is to say part of a company wide headcount reduction as a consequence of economic circumstances. However, you cannot blame it totally on economics. You have to ask yourself if you were not a little complacent on hiring people in the good times.

When I first got the CEO's job and Head Office told me to fire 20 people, I fiddled things in every way possible. Like we have 6 approved vacancies and 3 people have handed their notice in so you only need 11 to satisfy your forecasts. Worked most times. But then you have to get down to it. Made the mistake the first time by trying to do it democratically. Sat with each director and talked about who might go or what numbers from his department. And what do you end up with? No numbers, no names.

Moved on to a different tack. Sat them in the boardroom and told them you sit here until you get me the numbers. Then left them to it. Think I had to do that on two other occasions - worked each time.

The only guy I personally sacked was absolutely bloody useless. My fault for not seeing that at interview. Thought he was going to have a heart attack but he didn't nor did he hit me.