Before firing someone, leaders should be forced to answer: 'What known structural problem are we choosing not to fix?' This question reframes termination not as a performance issue, but as a conscious leadership decision to accept the cost of turnover over the difficulty of fixing the underlying system.

Many team failures attributed to individuals are actually symptoms of flawed organizational structure, such as unclear roles, conflicting goals, or messy design. Firing an employee in this context fails to solve the root problem, leading to a costly cycle of rehiring into the same broken system.

Companies often complain about a lack of qualified candidates. The real issue is their failure to invest in developing the potential of hires who aren't 'perfect.' Talent development is a core organizational responsibility, not a luxury.

When leaders complain an employee isn't a 'strong enough performer,' it often reveals their own failure to provide clear goals and role definitions. This common phrase deflects accountability from a fixable structural problem (an undefined job) to an individual, trapping the organization in a cycle of blame.

While a single performance-based layoff can target underperformance, repeated rounds signal a systemic failure in leadership. It suggests managers are unable to hire, coach, or provide feedback effectively, making it a management problem rather than an individual employee issue.

It's easy to label a struggling rep as a 'bad hire.' Before firing them, leaders must investigate other factors. Often, the root cause is poor management, a lack of coaching, or an inequitable territory—not the rep's capability.

The term "strategic" is often a catch-all excuse used by managers during performance reviews when they fail to provide concrete, coachable feedback. It's a sign the leader needs to clarify their own expectations before they can effectively coach their team member.

When an employee underperforms, the ultimate fault lies with the leader who hired them. This radical accountability framework forces leaders to stop blaming their team and instead focus on improving their own hiring, training, and management processes.

Instead of letting go of underperforming employees, adopt the philosophy that their failure is your failure first as a manager. This forces you to re-evaluate if you've provided the right goals, context, and support, which can often unlock their potential.