The phase before firing

clipped from www.careerbuilder.com Counseling Out: A New Solution for Bad Employees One of the most difficult parts of being a manager is that some days, you have to fire an underperforming employee. Firing an employee is not usually a pleasant experience, especially if you like the person. In some cases, the alternate tactic of Counseling Out may be a better solution to your problem. What is Counseling Out? Counseling Out is the process of providing enough regular, candid and honest feedback that an employee quits before being fired. Most managers wait too long to fire underperforming employees. It's better for the employee, manager, and company if the employee quits. If Counseling Out is done correctly, your problem employee will find a job and quit before you have to take action. There are usually two scenarios where counseling out can be used: 'Good Employee, Wrong Job' or 'Bad Employee, Really Trying'. Read two true counseling out stories at the end of this article.