Terminations are a manager’s last resort when a direct report continuously fails to meet the organization’s expectations despite an appropriate level of support.
While some cases are clear-cut and carried out promptly, more often, terminations happen too late, causing prolonged negative impact. Even worse, some managers avoid addressing toxic high performers who achieve results at the expense of their team or department’s morale and cohesion.
A common frustration, "You can’t fire anyone around here," is rarely true when performance management best practices are followed, and underperformance or toxic behaviors are documented appropriately. Although terminations are challenging for all involved, they are necessary to protect team health, uphold organizational values, and ensure long-term success.