How NOT to Fire a Worker: Lessons from the Carol Bartz Sacking

After having been summarily dismissed, Bartz informed employees via email that she had been canned over the phone. In a subsequent interview in Fortune, Bartz complained that her termination notice sounded scripted. Later in that same interview, she used an expletive to trash Yahoo's board of directors.

Firing someone over the phone almost begs retaliation. It is a sign of disrespect and shows callous disregard for the other person's humanity. And when you do this to the senior most executive in the company it can have very bad consequences. If the CEO can be sacked so callously, employees will be thinking "what about me?"

The other part of the story is Bartz's reaction. She did the proverbial Johnny Paycheck move, "Take this job and shove it." Fortunately, she has been well compensated and may have millions in stock options to cash in. She may, however, have lost her ability to claim some of this because she was under a "no disparagement clause." This last reason is why so many senior leaders who are fired leave so quietly. Exit pay packages speak louder than words!

Shed no tears for Ms. Bartz. She's a savvy experienced executive rising through the ranks at DEC and Sun Microsystems, who has proven herself again and again, most notably as CEO of AutoDesk. She has always succeeded in a male-dominated world. She is also a cancer survivor and an inspiration to many for her grit as well as her resilience.

This incident, however, highlights a bigger issue: the loss of dignity for the worker, be it an executive or a front line employee. I would wager that the same week that Ms. Bartz was sacked hundreds more employees were sacked via phone or email, or worse public announcement.

Is it any wonder that trust levels in organizations have eroded so greatly?

The real question is, What to do about it?

The answer is simple: treat others as you wish to be treated. The next time you must deliver some one tough news, even a termination, here are some things to keep in mind.

Do it in person. The manager who supervises an employee should be the one terminating it. Many companies, as seen the movie Up in the Air, use a George Clooney-type outsider to deliver termination notices. That is unprofessional. The manager should do it face to face. It is hard, yes, but it is the dignified thing to do.

Deliver it straight. Give the person reasons why he or she is being let go. If it is a layoff it will still hurt. All of us have within us the "why me?" If the person is being let go for cause, be specific.

Exit with respect. Be clear about the severance packages as well as opportunities for transition coaching and outplacement services. And part of the exit should include thanking the individual for their contributions.

Simple respect costs little, but the dividends are plentiful. People may not like what you have to say but they will respect you if you treat them as equals. And even better, you will not risk getting trashed in the media, nor via mass-emailing in your own company.

Related:

A Manager's Dilemma: You Have Info You Are Not Allowed to Disclose
Why US Corporate Leaders Are Failing, and How to Make Them Better
3 Ways to Make Yourself Much More Employable
image courtesy of flickr user, Yodel Anecdotal