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Conscious Terminations

Ending Employment Relationships with Dignity and Connection


(Originally published on medium.com on Feb 24, 2020)


In my prior business, a colleague stepped into my office and said, “Gregg, I thought you’d want to know this. I just overheard John telling another employee that he didn’t make any sales calls yesterday & has no intentions of doing anything this week.”


At the time, John was one of three salespeople for the office, and he was the most experienced of the three. John & I had had a conversation a few days earlier where he requested time off with pay, even though he had used all of his vacation & personal leave days.


I offered that he was welcome to take the days off, but declined his request for them to be with pay because I wanted our policies to be mutually applied to everyone. I didn’t want certain people to get privileges that others did not get. John had left my office visibly disappointed and angry that his request was not granted. He said he had worked hard and deserved recognition for his work by getting some days off with pay.


So now, as I reflected on the words of my colleague, I was observing what was going on in me. I was angry.

I was telling myself “How can he do this kind of crap at a time when we really need some sales?! … So I’m paying him to sit back there & tell other people that he’s not going to do anything?! … that S.O.B. … can’t he see the bigger picture?! … I don’t have time for crap like this! … He’s go