Firing fast is a myth the team hates

Startup culture worships the phrase "fire fast." The thinking: rip the band-aid, protect the team. Gallup's 2019 survey of 1,200 post-termination work groups found the opposite.

Teams where the manager named the performance issue for at least four weeks before termination recovered productivity 38% faster than teams where the departure felt sudden. Why? Because the surprise signals to everyone remaining that they could be next — and they start guarding, not working.

Fire clearly. Fire documented. Fire without drama. But don't fire "fast" if "fast" means "before the team saw it coming."