Breaking the Bond

Separation of an employee is not only a traumatic experience for the individual, but is also a tense act for the manager handling the meeting. The most dangerous conversation that can take place between a manager and an employee is the one that occurs during the separation meeting. As soon as the manager opens his/her mouth it poses a potentially hazardous situation for the organization.

The acid test for any successful separation meeting is to be able to answer YES to these two questions:

• Are we being fair and equitable?
• Is this the way we would want to be treated?

Conducting employee separation meetings should be an essential skill set for all managers. Managers who can’t do this properly shouldn’t be in the position and neither should those who enjoy to doing it.

This practice area is focused on working with organizations to plan and structure a solid approach to the separation process while addressing the emotional impact on the manager and the employee. By providing guidelines based upon 16 years of experience I can help minimize the trauma and protect the interest of all parties involved.

Most wrongful termination lawsuits can be traced to the manner in which the person was notified and how they were allowed to exit the property. Maintaining the person’s dignity is directly related to the latter. An unhappy employee will multiply a negative times ten and remember it for 6 to 8 years.

“People may forget what you say. They may forget what you do. But they will never forget how you make them feel.”