Firing part two

I think I was right to be more cynical than hopeful in yesterday's article about firing or possibly firing someone.

That person was late today. About an hour late.

And when I said I was disappointed I heard - my car broke down and it's icy and I couldn't get out until daylight and I called a cab buy none would come and .... - but while that was going on I was thinking - I'm sympathetic but I need you here on time and how does this help me feel like you're going to be dependable tomorrow.

And then I mentioned that the employee needed to leave when scheduled I heard - I might have to get another job. With my child ill I need more money coming in. And I won't be able to afford to fix my car without more money. - and while they were all true and I want to be sympathetic I hired this person as a part-time worker at a particular salary.

And I'm tired of listening to problems of why the work can't be accomplished. I certainly hope I'm reasonable when it comes to problems, but I can't hear the same thing day in and day out without wondering if the problem isn't the person rather than the indicated problem.

I've had experience with on-going problems. My father died a slowly with both Parkinson's and heart disease. The combination caused him to go on partial disability before retiring. After my mother's death he ended eating out since he had never really learned to cook. And I remember hearing him say once that, "I had enough medicine to shovel the snow off my car or sit thorugh church, but not to do both so I stayed home." But while the problems were daily, the excuses weren't. And the problems were not used to excuse not following through on what he said he'd do.

I've also given support whre I think I can. We've been going through a series of snowstorms and I've called this employee and others to say that they shouldn't come in because the weather's too bad. But today wasn't one of those days. The skys aare clear, there's a little bit of wind, the roads have had a couple of days to clear from snow. Getting to work on time just shouldn't have been a problem.

In the end it comes down to whether the problems are lived with and through or used as just one more reason. I suspect I've done the latter myself when I always intend to do the former. Yet the real quesion isn't whether or not one or the toher happens in a particular instnace, but waht is the continuing pattern. And that is why I probably shouldn't use the word cynical.

In this case I'm not cynical about people, but I've experienced the continued behavior of a particular person. And I've experieinced enough to say there's going to be another problem and another problem and one of the par's of being a manager that I don't like is going to come into play And I suspect I'll end up firing this person.

And I do sorrow.