Make difficult personnel decisions: dismiss employees or not?

HR always face the difficult one decision, Employees to have to be fired. Or are there alternatives? Find out here how you can systematically come to a decision without having to say afterwards: “I should have known better!”

Take your time to make your decision

You have to make decisions all the time. Some are easier for you, others can make you sleep. When layoffs are pending, decisions are often particularly difficult.

You're supposed to be ten percent of the in your department Costs save on. And know: There is nothing left in the material resources! Now you're pondering under time pressure: Saving with the employees? To fire somebody? Whom? Fewer salary for all? Many of your decisions have far-reaching consequences for which you are responsible. Therefore: consider decisions carefully.

Avoid wrong decisions

I would like to, but unfortunately I often don't have the time, you will say. It's not just you. Business Objects, a business intelligence provider Solutions and Business Week Research Services published a study on this.

This confirms: of 675 managers surveyed in Europe and the USA, two thirds make every second decision spontaneously and intuitively. But: 77 percent of managers also admit frequent wrong decisions. And these can Company Cost millions.

But you can learn to make good decisions even under time pressure. First you need to learn the techniques. Over time, the processes in your Head then automatically and you can do better, faster and more successfully decide.

5 steps to make an optimal decision

Amazing that many People don't think in writing. A decision is rolled back and forth in the head or a list of pros and cons is sometimes written, but very few people write everything down in black and white, according to the well-known Munich resident Coach Gitte Harder. In fact, it's easier to make decisions when you have everything in front of you visually. Things to Learn the techniques for it.

Please note: Your procedure differs depending on the form of the day or the complexity of the decisions. At one point you make spontaneous decisions because you have the necessary experience, at other times you analyze everything. There are hardly any gut or head people, so don't put yourself in these drawers, but be open to new approaches.

Step 1: make yourself clear about the framework

You make every decision within certain parameters. This includes circumstances that were already there and perhaps make your decision necessary in the first place (e.g. economic Problems of your company), but also specifications such as period and Objective, which you do not from the Eyes verlieren allowed.

Personal factors also belong in the framework

These are, for example, your character traits and personal experiences, which also unconsciously influence your decisions. They know best, like you Character is created. Then adjust your personal parameters.

Example: If you prefer to make rational decisions, you should make sure you have time to analyze the facts. If you had to make an ad hoc gut decision, you would be for sure unsatisfied with the result.

Remember: only if you remain largely true to yourself can you represent your decision in front of yourself and others.

Visualize your decision framework

It makes sense to have a clear scheme so that you have what is at stake during the entire decision-making process. Ask Yourself Honestly: What are the unchangeable conditions? How must the result be? But also: Which factors are indispensable for me personally? Fill such a frame with your own parameters:

External factors:

• It's about the wellbeing of the company
• My manager wants it that way
• The company is doing poorly economically
• I have to make a decision in a week
• You have to save 10%

Personal factors:

• My position must not be endangered
• I like to decide analytically-rationally
• I'm more about safety than risk
• I have had bad experiences with this solution in a similar situation

Step 2: Overcome time pressure and other blockages

Next week you should put your savings proposals on the table - and you feel themselves under pressure. The pressure is often less than you think. In many situations there is enough time to think in a structured way - it just depends on how you deal with it Stress evade!

Train the techniques to decision making in unstressful situations. The more exercise you have, the better you can handle it under pressure.

When you need more time to decide

Ask about the reason for the time pressure. Who makes him Why? What speaks against making the decision in peace? Talk to the polluters. Give arguments why you need more time to make your decision. For example, you can say: I first need to know all the important facts in order to make the best possible decision.

It is often shown that the decision is not as urgent as initially thought. If there is a fire, there are some emergency measures:

First aid in an emergency:

• Keep your head clear. Go through the steps on this list.
• Take time for yourself. Alone. At least five minutes. Don't argue and waste time! Make it clear: you need the break to make the best possible decision and that is also necessary for the good of the company!
• How do you decide spontaneously? Does your head or stomach decide? Write it down.
• Analyze rationally: What exactly is the decision about who and what is affected?
• Bring your spontaneous feelings together with the result of your considerations: How do you decide now, after the analysis?

Overcome uncertainty

Time pressure is just one factor that can inhibit you. Every day you have to make changes with your decisions. Giving up what you are used to can make you feel insecure. Don't just suppress your feelings, put them in writing - positive like negative. Because: Even positive feelings can "cloud" your decision if you accept consequences optimistic judge.

It is important that you get a comprehensive picture of your emotional state with regard to the upcoming decision. Only analysis enables you to deal with unpleasant emotional influences rationally. The following overview shows you which arguments you can use in typical blockage situations to convince yourself that this view will not help you.

Step 3: consider alternatives

Now turn to the rational side of your decision: Take your time and think about what options you have to make a decision. The following two are helpful Methods:

• Brainstorming. With yourself or others. Important: a time frame - 15-30 minutes is enough. Write down everything you can think of on a large sheet of paper. The quality is unimportant, it will be evaluated later. Collect all ideas and associations.
• Mind Map: Take a large sheet of paper, write in the middle what it is about. Now you form branches - each branch a new keyword that you can think of. If you can think of other associations for these key words, add them to an existing line. This gives you a structured overview of your thoughts.

Write down all possible alternatives - even if they seem unrealistic at first. Because: Having multiple alternatives is always better than being able to choose between two extreme options.

Perhaps there are already one or more alternatives that you want to choose intuitively? Write down your spontaneous feelings when listing the options. If you want, you can do this in the form of smileys or numbers between 0 and 5 (0 stands for negative, 5 for positive. This could look something like this:

Examining alternatives in detail and then rejecting them is not a waste of time: if you have thoroughly examined all options, you will be much better at your decision afterwards. And: Maybe after a thorough examination, you are choosing the most unlikely route?

Step 4: information gathering

So that you can now consider each of your alternatives with the possible consequences, you need facts - and this brings you to the most complex phase of the decision-making process. Do not neglect the research despite the time pressure. But be careful: If you accumulate too much information, you will lose track and only make the decision unnecessarily difficult.

Narrow down information

Better: Limit the flow of information from the outset by asking specific questions about every aspect of your decision. The question How can I best save? will not help you because it is far too vague Your questions should narrow your problem much more. You will only get precise answers if you ask very carefully. This is particularly important when you delegate information gathering to someone else.

If you as a possible Alternatives For example, if you are thinking about laying off employees to save money, you should look specifically for information that will help you to decide in favor or against. You should ask such precise questions for each of your alternatives - only you get an objective picture.

Rate information

Of course, finding the right information also means evaluating it. Unfortunately, you cannot always assume that your information is really neutral or complete. So always be critical. Be careful with blanket statements like Der Economy it is bad! Differentiate: Not all companies are doing badly. Things are already looking very different!

You are also influenced by the media, either directly or indirectly: There are trending topics that your colleagues will of course also discuss. This means that the topic is constantly present. You can evade this by being critical of the "trend" five W-phrases: question:

• Why are you interested in the topic?
• How does it affect you?
• Who is influencing you?
• What do you really think of it personally?
• What other information do you need?

An example: You are looking for statistically proven studies that show you how to do it best Money can save. You come across two contradictory results and now you are wondering which one to believe. Clarify the statements in writing in key points, but also the intention of the two studies. Then think about why you chose this or that Information give more weight and note that too.

The overview is not only useful for you satisfaction: When your decisions are based on factual information that you have researched well and thoughtfully, you are less vulnerable to attacks critic.

Step 5: “Calculate” the decision

Only when you know the facts can you really assess the consequences of your decision. You can of course roll the arguments back and forth in your head. However, it is better to write them down - for example as a pro and contra list. However, it is better than just evaluating the various aspects with + or - to work out each alternative with all the consistencies.

The consequences are at the same time the criteria for your decision. Rate the criteria with numbers between 0 and 5. - 5 if you expect this consequence to occur exactly like this and 0 if not. Describe yours Opinions moreover with words closer.

Rate all alternatives with the same criteria - this is the only way you can compare! For important criteria, double the value (for all alternatives!). If you add up the values, you will immediately see how you should make the best decision - purely mathematically, of course.

How do you decide?

In purely arithmetical terms, in this example you can now decide to cut the salaries of all employees in order to save and be satisfied with them. You have made your decision according to very rational and logical considerations.

But if you are still not convinced, this result may be contrary to your "gut feeling". Just remind yourself again what you spontaneously thought when you considered the alternative: You had noted, for example, that you could live with cuts in wages. Restructuring in the department had you intuitively liked better and had a better evaluation.

Now you have to consider what is more important to you. Unfortunately, nobody can give you the general advice: Always listen to your stomach or your mind. Depending on the situation and your personal requirements (think about your parameters!), You have to decide again and again.

Rethink arguments

Rethink the various arguments. In this case, you might choose to cut your wages - simply because you spontaneously noted that restructuring may not be feasible and the rational considerations have confirmed this judgment.

If they are indecisive, you throw a coin - not to decide, but to remember what you actually want: Even while the coin is falling, you may hope for a head, because you actually want to cut salaries. Or you react spontaneously with reluctance when the coin falls on number, because you do not want to restructure.

Implement and communicate decisions consistently

The decision is made! But that's not all: Now you also have to be consistent Implementation take care of the solution.

Ensure acceptance and understanding

If you have voted for others, you have to make sure that the employees understand and accept your decision. Explain why there was no alternative and why implementation is important for everyone. Do not be indecisive - other people also take unpleasant decisions positively if you argue them convincingly.

Act consistently, be a role model when it comes to implementation: Employees accept salary cuts if they do Company going bad. A raise for him Executive but then you do not understand!

aids

Make clearwhy the decision was necessary. Set a realistic schedule and work towards it together. Emphasize the positive aspects that will come out. A good tool: draw a poster with all the important points. Hang it up for everyone to see. As an incentive, always update how much time is left and which partial successes you have already achieved.