Answer on Another Blog

"The last question this week comes from Aislinge who asked: ‘If I fire people, does that make me a heartless, unfeeling wretch or just good at a bad part of the job?Well, I am very uncomfortable calling people names, so I can’t tell you that firing people makes you a heartless, unfeeling wretch. Let’s go with you are good at a bad part of your job, which is to be commended. See, I am bad at the good part of my job, which causes me lots of issues. However to balance that out and in my defense, I am very, very good at the part of my job that requires me to take breaks, lunches and leave at the end of the day. I’m pretty sure this makes you a much better worked than I am."

So I posted a comment:


Hello, Michael!
Good answer to a weird question. It's okay to call me names, especially one I am offering up for that very purpose.

The fact is that there is no right answer to that question. In the eyes of my employer, I am very, very good at this aspect of employment management and so then it is as you say.

In the eyes of the employee I am terminating, it is not so cut and dry. For them, it is usually more negative, although I'm always amazed at how many people tell me that I was nice to them when this happened or tell me they know it isn't ME doing this, but the manager.

Never underestimate my roll in this... I was a proponent and in some cases the prime mover for it. So the better question may be am I a heartless unfeeling wretch because I don't regret this aspect of my job?

I'll post this on my blog as well and cogitate further when I get home...