Ethics of Firing, Part 1

July 21, 2009

Continued from Page 1

By creating a more profitable business I will be able to bless my current and future employees along with their families, and all of the customers we serve. If I do not fire them, these blessings are less likely to come to pass, and the company could suffer.

If firings are necessary to minimize overall pain, then I should retain the people who most support the health of the company by delivering the most value to customers at the lowest price. These four do not fit that description.

The middle manager, like all employees, is called to obey the master "as if you were serving the Lord, not men" (Ephesians 6). Our revenues are down now -- like everyone else's. The master, in this case the executives and shareholders, have entrusted me with millions of dollars with which to create value. Firing these four, while painful to all of us, gives us the chance to bless.

So what happens when a manager, known for loving his people, has to fire them? Would Jesus fire someone? How would he do it? I will address these questions in Part 2.

Peter Collins received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his JD/MBA from Berkeley. He is presently a practice manager with an international executive consulting firm.

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