When your boss tells you to terminate an employee

Dear Bob ...A few months ago I became the manager of our IT group, and inherited a long-term employee with stunningly inadequate performance. I have worked with him to set clear performance standards, which are now being achieved.Two weeks ago, my manager asked me to fire him on the basis that his long term substandard performance had destroyed all confidence in him (and by inference, our entire department, now

Dear Bob ...

A few months ago I became the manager of our IT group, and inherited a long-term employee with stunningly inadequate performance. I have worked with him to set clear performance standards, which are now being achieved.

Two weeks ago, my manager asked me to fire him on the basis that his long term substandard performance had destroyed all confidence in him (and by inference, our entire department, now including me), and other managers do not want to deal with him or have him handling their requests. I declined on the basis that his performance is currently satisfactory and he should be judged on that basis.

My manager has now ordered me to go ahead and fire him, because even with his improved performance, there's nothing he could ever do to regain the confidence of our users. We are in an at-will employment state, and this employee could be easily and quickly replaced.

My immediate reaction is to refuse to obey the order - this employee reports to me, and I'm rightly the one to judge his performance and fitness. He's doing the quality of work that he's been told is required, and that's all anyone needs to know.

But, the costs of disobedience of this directive would include losing on several other initiatives that are more important to me and to the company. I'm not willing to sacrifice my political capital, perhaps my job, and my plans for making this company better to save the job of someone who intentionally goofed off for years.

Conversely, firing him after he corrected his performance issues will let the rest of the department know that satisfactory performance isn't enough, and that there are times when I do not take a stand on a matter of principle. It would also let the employee know that nothing I've told him for these months mattered in the end. Either course of action would have good and bad impacts on my relationship to the rest of senior management.

What should I do?

- On the horns

Dear Impaled ...

Tough situation. I don't see any great answers, and I agree with your analysis of the situation.

Which is to say, you do have to fire the employee. The question is how you go about it so that you don't destroy your credibility with everyone else in your department.

One possibility is to tell your boss to fire the guy. I don't love it. He reports to you. It is your job. I do think it's important for you to let your manager know the impact you expect this to have. If your manager thinks the firing is worth the downsides, that takes you to the next possibility, which is …