Great Responses to Use When Fired. They Are Not Mine!!
May 06, 2020
Here Is Some Priceless, God-Glorifying Advice!!
Aaron had many aptitudes that could be used in a successful career, but he had a nagging dissatisfaction. He was plugging right along in his job but not excelling in it. Unfortunately, his mediocre performance caught up to him when the company finally realized they needed somebody better. He was fired!
Did Aaron want to badmouth his boss, the company or his colleagues? Was he hurting deep down inside leading him to question his future? Was he questioning God and why he let this happen? It is likely. Fortunately, Donald Miller of StoryBrand® gives some great advice for what Aaron should have said when fired and what you should say if you are ever fired. Read more!
Justification for Firing
Jim Collins gives great business advice to help companies go from good to great. In fact, his best-selling book, Good to Great, mentions the characteristics of eleven great companies out of 1,435 good companies in our economy at that time. There are two of his characteristics at work in a proper firing process.
First, Jim Collins talks about having the right people in the right seats on the bus. In other words, the seats or jobs require a person well-suited for the seat or the position they are filling. Second, accepting the “brutal truth” about a situation also leads to better results and ultimately kinder results.
In the case of firing, a boss may eventually see that John is a great guy, but he is the wrong person for the job. He is the right person for a different job somewhere, but not one he has now. While accepting the “brutal truth”, the boss realizes it is in everybody’s best interest, including John’s, to fire John. In fact, it would be cruel to keep John because he is essentially twisting in the wind, struggling, failing for everybody to see, and hurting the futures of others.
Proverbs 25:4-5 speaks of getting rid of the dross which limits the silver from attaining purity. Perhaps a career assessment has shown the boss that the gifts God has given the employee can be used much better elsewhere and can communicate that to the employee. There are all kinds of ways to let somebody go caringly. But most of all, nobody should be surprised that they are being fired. Surprises mean management has not been doing its job.
What to Say When Fired
Donald Miller has hit the nail on the head for what to say when fired.
I would add to his advice… if you have been fired and did not receive the news gracefully or graciously, here is what you should do. Imagine you are sitting across from and looking eye-to-eye with the person who fired you. With that image, write a letter to whomever you may have offended, express how sorry you are for how you behaved, be specific with what you did wrong, and then say what Donald Miller of StoryBrand® recommended in the video.
Conclusion
Getting fired is tough in many ways. Here are some verses that helped a client of ours:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
We hope they will encourage you, help you gain wisdom from the experience, and learn what career and company culture fits you best – all for God’s glory.
Charlie Haines
