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the worst thing about my day
Nov. 1st, 2007 06:33 pmSince I'm the HRIT maven at my office, it's as inevitable as a GWB malapropism that I'll occasionally have to sit across from someone and terminate him. And by terminate, I mean the working sort of termination, not the spy-adventure sort, but on days like today, I think the spy-adventure sort might almost be easier.
I mean. Okay, today's guy was a bit of a fuckup. Nice enough. Personable. But he never really listened to what you were trying to tell him, and so he'd ask the same questions over and over again; he disappeared for two- and three-hour stretches, which is a terrible MO for a warehouse driver; none of our superintendents felt they could rely on him; none of the office staff trusted him to get things right the first time round. It's been six months and like this since the first day, with no improvement in sight, so yeah, he had to go, I know it. But I've sat in his chair before, I've felt that sick, furious dawning realization that this is it, that nothing you say is going to change anyone's mind, that you have bills and responsiblities and as of that moment no way to meet them, that you thought you were part of a team but you weren't. There aren't too many things that feel worse, and the whole time we talked in the conference room, I couldn't keep from flashing back. We (the VP was also in the room) felt terrible, and he felt worse; when he gave me his key and credit card and phone before he left, he gave me a hug, and God. It was just a bad day.
I've done it both ways, and there's no question that being the one asked to leave is by far the worse place to be, but being the one to break the news is fucking hard. I don't think it will ever get easier, either. I don't see how it can.
I mean. Okay, today's guy was a bit of a fuckup. Nice enough. Personable. But he never really listened to what you were trying to tell him, and so he'd ask the same questions over and over again; he disappeared for two- and three-hour stretches, which is a terrible MO for a warehouse driver; none of our superintendents felt they could rely on him; none of the office staff trusted him to get things right the first time round. It's been six months and like this since the first day, with no improvement in sight, so yeah, he had to go, I know it. But I've sat in his chair before, I've felt that sick, furious dawning realization that this is it, that nothing you say is going to change anyone's mind, that you have bills and responsiblities and as of that moment no way to meet them, that you thought you were part of a team but you weren't. There aren't too many things that feel worse, and the whole time we talked in the conference room, I couldn't keep from flashing back. We (the VP was also in the room) felt terrible, and he felt worse; when he gave me his key and credit card and phone before he left, he gave me a hug, and God. It was just a bad day.
I've done it both ways, and there's no question that being the one asked to leave is by far the worse place to be, but being the one to break the news is fucking hard. I don't think it will ever get easier, either. I don't see how it can.
