If you hired a family member and things aren’t great the way you want it to be, it might be time to learn how to fire a family member. There is nothing wrong about and you do not have to feel bad. After all, you’re the boss and you have to make some wise decisions. Below are some of the steps that will help you make this uncomfortable process easier. While it’s not easy to fire a family member, such methods may help you.
- Write Everything Down
Have a list of the pros and cons of firing your family member. If you already have a clear list, run it by somebody you respect and trust in your business. It can be your fellow executive or your business partner. Have them question things you have on your list to ensure that they agree and to ensure that your personal ties are not clouding your own professional judgment.
- Establish Communication
Majority of people like to succeed. However, when family members at your company begin to feel entitled and they act like they’re doing you a favor, you should establish some communication. You need to sit down with your employees in a collected and calm way and describe your problems you’re facing. If you cannot stay calm because there’s too much emotion, you might have somebody to moderate the session. Write down what your family member said and take notes to know how he or she feels. You should listen to your family member. Never get defensive. Odds are that you haven’t communicated properly with that person in the past.
- Find a Mentor, Coach or Other Professional Help
Once you understand the case and you can see the point of view of your employee, meet with somebody outside the situation to review what your family member said. You can’t make good judgments call yourself, you’re very close to the situation. Look for a mentor, coach or another help or entrepreneur to see what you can’t see. You might come up with other solutions to your issues that are creative and can be a win for every party. The key is to find some ways that you can either end the relationship or fix the minimal damage to your family.
- Review Your Creative Solutions with Your Family Member
Show your family member that you care and you’re trying to find some solutions to help. If it isn’t an option for that person to continue working with you, you could help him find new work. You might lend him money to open up his business. You should determine what would make him happy. The most important thing is communication. It isn’t always what you say, it is actually how you say it. Practice and role-play goes a long way. Once you understand the point of view of your employee, you should do role-playing. The last thing you like to do is assuming you know what he likes.
- Get Ready to Take Action
The last step is to take action. If you wait for a long time to take action, the situation might get worse. You like to move forward and be brave. If that means taking away all your responsibilities to reduce the risk, you should do it right away. If you show your family member that you’re serious, he or she will be able to understand everything.