Before You Fire Them: A More Human Approach to Accountability

Before considering firing someone, credit union executives should implement a structured and empathetic approach focused on fostering growth, ensuring clarity, and building accountability. Move from reactive and fault-finding to proactive, solution-oriented leadership, aiming to develop individuals and address performance issues before reaching the point of separation.

1. Proactive Leadership and Culture Building (Foundational Steps)

Even before specific performance issues arise, cultivating a strong team culture is as crucial as it can be, because it sets the stage for how difficult conversations are handled.

Lead with Grace and Assume the Best
Understand that mistakes are a part of growth, and perfection is a myth. Embrace progress over perfection, fostering a culture where learning from setbacks is valued. Operate under the belief that your team members are capable of greatness and point out their strengths, shifting focus from what's wrong to what's right.

Increase Emotional Deposits
Relationships function like an "emotional bank account." Make consistent, thoughtful, positive interactions to build trust, creating a strong balance for when "withdrawals" (tough feedback, conflict) are necessary. Aim for a 10:1 praise to correction ratio, focusing on specific effort, behavior, and character.

Honor the Absent
Avoid negative talk about people not present. This prevents gossip and fosters a culture of respect, making direct, honest conversations about performance more effective when they occur.

2. Addressing Performance Issues Constructively

When a performance issue surfaces, avoid impulsive reactions and follow a clear process:

Implement the 24-Hour Rule
If something goes wrong, especially if emotions are high, wait up to 24 hours before engaging in a conversation. This pause allows you to process the situation, separate emotion from facts, and approach the discussion rationally. The goal is to be the "right person for the conversation" by being calm and clear.

Use Permission-Based Coaching
When addressing areas for improvement or having tough conversations, ask for permission to give feedback. This creates a collaborative environment and allows the team member to be receptive. It's acceptable to acknowledge your struggles or imperfections in the area being discussed, which builds credibility.

Apply the CPR Method for Conflict
This structured approach helps handle conflict directly and move beyond blame toward resolution:

• Connect
  Seek to understand the full story and the other person's perspective by asking open-ended questions like, "Can you help me understand what happened here?" Avoid assumptions and gather context before addressing issues. A leader once learned a team member's poor performance was due to a personal crisis, which changed the entire approach to the conversation.

• Position
  Clearly share the impact of the behavior on the organization, the team, or the customer, but do so in a non-emotional way focused on consequences, not personal attacks. The aim is to be honest, clear, and constructive, helping them see the "weight" of their actions so they can take ownership. This is about "calling them up" to a higher standard with support and belief in their potential, rather than "calling them out."

• Reset
  Guide the conversation toward a resolution by asking what steps the person is willing to commit to moving forward. Encourage them to offer solutions first, empowering them to own the problem and its resolution. Have one or two solutions ready in case they have nothing to share.

Provide Constructive Feedback
Feedback is an investment in someone's future. Be specific, kind, and actionable, ensuring it helps them grow and improve. Demonstrate care by addressing the root issue, not just the symptoms.

3. Establishing Clear Expectations and Accountability

To prevent issues from escalating to a firing decision, ensure accountability systems are robust and consistently applied:

Expect the Best (Call People Up, Not Out)
Aim to hire and train the best people, encouraging them to bring their very best. This means calling people up to their highest potential and coaching them to achieve it, rather than just pointing out flaws.

Set Clear and Meaningful Goals
Goals provide direction and purpose. Ensure they are challenging yet attainable, with clear steps, and revisit them often with adjustments to keep everyone aligned and motivated.

Maintain Accountability Without Micromanaging
Accountability issues often stem from unclear expectations, inconsistent follow-up, or systems that fade. Build visible, measurable, and structured accountability into your team's rhythm: quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily check-ins, to prevent drifting and to help the team own their work.

Implement Development Plans
These turn potential into progress by providing structure, direction, and accountability. Use written 90-day plans with clear goals, specific action steps, and timelines. These should be co-created with the team member to foster ownership and supported by the leader through regular check-ins.

Address Hypocrisy Transparently
If you struggle with the same issue that your team needs to address (for example, accuracy), be 100% transparent about your struggles. This vulnerability can empower the team to embrace change and rapidly improve.

Trust Them to Fail and Use Post-Decision Check-ins
Empower your team to make decisions, and trust them to stumble along the way. Instead of a pre-approval process, have post-decision check-ins to discuss what went well and areas for growth. This builds confidence and refines decision-making skills, recognizing that those small missteps lead to better, more confident decisions.

4. When Separation Becomes a Possibility

If, despite these consistent efforts, a team member is still not meeting expectations or is not a long-term fit:

The process of progressive coaching and clear expectations allows for a mutual understanding of fit. The CPR method, when applied consistently and with integrity, helps leaders express expectations clearly and effectively. This structured approach means conversations will focus on necessary standards, attitudes, and behaviors, inviting the team member to step into that.

A powerful exchange can occur even if a team member is let go. If the process has been handled correctly and consistently, the departing team member may understand the expectations and support provided, leading to a professional and respectful separation. One client's departing team member even thanked them for how they were let go, recognizing the support despite the outcome.

Power Questions to Reflect and Refocus

Use these questions to guide self-evaluation or team conversations. They help uncover blind spots, clarify intent, and strengthen your leadership response before considering more serious actions.

1. Have I made expectations crystal clear, or am I assuming too much?

2. If I were in their shoes, would I feel supported or judged?

3. What patterns am I seeing, and what beliefs might be driving them?

In Closing

By following these steps, credit union executives can ensure they have done everything possible to develop their team members and address performance concerns. When separation does occur, it is no longer reactive. It becomes a final step handled with integrity, transparency, and respect.

If you’re currently struggling with a situation like this, you don’t have to go through it alone. I would love to walk with you through all the tough conversations, just reply to this email, and let’s talk.

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What are your thoughts on the process of letting someone go? Do you have any tried and true methods regarding tough conversations? Please shoot us a message, we’d love to hear from you!