Leadership and Letting Go: When is it Time to Say Goodbye?
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Many years ago (when my kids were a lot smaller), my husband Mayer and I took a trip to Niagara Falls. As usual, I had organized everything in advance, including reserving adjoining rooms for our family.
Because our kids were so young at the time, it was really important that we had that adjoining room. So, I made sure to call the hotel—both the day before and the day of the trip—to confirm that the rooms were available for us as planned.
But lo and behold, on the night we arrived at the hotel, the staff member on duty told us that there were no adjoining rooms left because we had arrived too late at night.
Mayer and I were livid. I had called to reserve in advance specifically because I knew we would be arriving late and wanted to make sure we got the rooms we needed.
Yet here we were, standing at the check-in desk, luggage in hand, being told that it was our fault we didn’t get adjoining rooms.
Why? Because the hotel staff refused to take responsibility for their mistake.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Throughout your career, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of instances where team members didn’t take accountability, shifted the blame, or reacted poorly to feedback.
And sure, even the best of us have some missteps along the way.
But when a team member’s failure to take personal responsibility becomes a pattern of behavior, it’s a signal that it’s probably time to say goodbye.
In this week’s podcast episode, the second in my three-part series on firing, I dig deeper into personal responsibility and the other key reasons for deciding to let go of a team member.
Join me for a conversation about:
- The core evidence that should determine whether you fire someone
- Why documentation is essential throughout the decision-making process
- How to evaluate performance, coachability, mindset, and more
- How personality fit should factor into your decision
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Making a difficult decision like deciding when to say goodbye to a team member is a lot easier when you have support. Our Director’s Inner Circle and Owner’s HQ membership programs are the perfect place to build a community of like-minded leaders who can help you when things get tough. Plus, as a member, you’ll also gain access to tools, resources, and coaching that can help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.
If your center is dealing with the aftermath of letting a team member go, you might be a good fit for a Leadership Day Intensive. You’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus months of accountability check-ins to help you and your team transform your center by building an even stronger, healthier culture.
Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts
Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices
More about the show:
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
In addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners the inside knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.
Don’t miss an episode, subscribe today for everything you need for your leadership journey!
