How do you know if you should fire an underperforming or toxic employee?

If you have an employee who is underperforming or toxic to your culture, ask yourself this question:

"If this person didn't already work for me, and I knew everything that I know about them in terms of how they show up and perform in their role, would I hire them right now, today?"

If the answer to that question is no, then you need to let them go. You need to act on that. It probably doesn't immediately firing them, but it requires at least a very clear and direct conversation that their job is at stake if things don't improve.

This is (I think) the most difficult conversation to have as a leader, but you must do this. You have to have the courage and strategic wherewithal to ask this question, get honest about the answer, and do something about it. For the strength of your organization, for the strength of your culture, it is a must.

Bonus: An excellent resource for leaders to tackle this situation and conversation, read the book "Fierce Conversations" by Susan Scott. It's a step by step guide on exactly how to master conversations like this. Here's a link, go buy it right now.