The first time I ever managed a team, my company wound up in the unfortunate position of needing a 20% Reduction in Force (RIF). One of my team was on the chopping block.
I was torn. I had two smart employees I wasn’t getting the best out of, and a third employee that worked his ass off but just wasn’t effective.
As a new manager I decided to reward effort over results.
My boss stopped me. I was convinced I was right. It culminated in an argument in her office that ended quite abruptly:
“I don’t care how hard he works. You can’t teach smart and you can’t fix stupid.”
I simply hadn’t thought about it like that. Hard work and good intentions is obviously a strength, but if it isn’t coupled with competence none of it matters. They will create more work for their peers and more work for me fixing their errors. As brutal a truth as it was, they had to go.
——
Update in 2024:
Years and years later I’m happy to report he is thriving at another company and getting awards for his work. He was a good person who happened to be in a bad fit of a job. So there is another learning here for you new managers…. Keeping someone who is limping along isn’t just bad for the company, it is bad for the employee. While no one takes it well when you tell them they aren’t cutting it, you have a responsibility to them to be honest. Odds are it will be best for everyone involved, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.