A reader writes:
I’m in a difficult spot with a long-time worker, “Bob,” and I would like recommendation on the way to ship a doubtlessly devastating piece of suggestions: “You simply don’t have what it takes to achieve this position.”
Bob is focused on rising from his present place right into a extra senior position. He has studied the sector for about two years, together with taking a couple of coaching programs paid for by the corporate. He’s been supplied with mentors via a community of trade contacts.
As a part of his studying course of, we now have given Bob oversight of a number of small tasks. He works exhausting, however there are a couple of issues we hold coming again to, together with an absence of communication abilities – he continuously mishears or misunderstands preliminary necessities, which implies that he spreads misinformation and leaves the remainder of the staff taking part in catch-up – and issue understanding the way to prioritize.
Bob additionally struggles to obtain suggestions, even delicate course corrections. Every teaching session, regardless of how targeted on concrete requests, leads him to a spiral of tension and irritability, which finally ends up impacting the staff. Bob has broken relationships to the purpose that a couple of coworkers refuse to work with him.
Backside-line: as keen as Bob is to be taught this position and develop his abilities, he’s dangerous at these items. He lacks lots of the innate abilities that the requires, hasn’t proven any enchancment, and I spend many hours per week clarifying his messages and coping with conflicts he’s created. That, plus the shortcoming to reply professionally to suggestions, makes me suppose that he’s essentially unsuited for this position. We will’t spend extra assets attempting to coach him.
How do I inform Bob that this isn’t a job he can excel at, not less than in our firm? How do I say, kindly however honestly, “I’ve caught my neck out for you so far as I’m prepared and sadly, you simply don’t measure up. Discover one other aim”?
I reply this query over at Inc. at the moment, the place I’m revisiting letters which were buried within the archives right here from years in the past (and typically updating/increasing my solutions to them). You can learn it right here.