116: Is it Time to Fire that Employee?

Have you recently thought that it’s time to fire an employee?

It’s an often said cliche that, “The hardest thing about business is managing people.” And, especially when you’re in the throws of managing team members who aren’t meeting performance expectations, that saying rings true. Managing, disciplining, and even firing employees are all just part of being a business owner and leader. That being said, I recently had a few different conversations with clients and prospects, specifically about the question, “Is it time to fire that employee?” Over the years, I have fired employees and team members for various reasons. Some firing resulted from clear, black and white ethical or procedural violations. However, the question of firing an employee over performance issues pose different challenges altogether. Especially in smaller organizations, like healthcare technology startups or small private healthcare practices, teams form close relationships. The thought of firing someone who you’ve come to form a personal relationship with brings up anxiety and other emotions around what this change in work arrangement will do to the personal relationships. Then, there’s also the question of whether or not it’s even justifiable to fire an employee over this specific performance issue comes up.

So, this week, I share some of my own thoughts, frameworks, and resources on the topic of managing team members, performance expectations, and even the decision to terminate an employee. I share some books and resources that I’ve used over the years to navigate some of these often difficult management issues.

What we cover in this Episode:

• The importance of speaking your mind and managing expectations at the beginning of an employee relationship
• Recruiting & Retaining team members in healthcare
• Important conversations to have during employee hiring & onboarding
• Your responsibilities as a manager (communicating, setting expectations, etc.)
• How no employee should ever be surprised about a termination or firing
• Understanding the value drivers for employees
• A few books I’ve found helpful: Managing Right for the First Time, Radical Candor, Crucial Conversations
• Ways to leverage data for navigating performance issues
• Achieving Better Outcomes by setting clear and consistent expectations with employees and team members

We’re starting to create videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.

Get Your Copy of My New Book Now!

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn (Rafi Salazar)
• Hire me to Speak
• Book a Healthcare Positioning Workshop
• Learn About Working with Me

For More:

If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.

Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare?

If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, UVP stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.

Work With Me

Are you building something innovative in healthcare—like a digital health product, service, or platform that’s aiming to truly improve the patient experience?

I help healthcare startups, SaaS platforms, and forward-thinking provider organizations develop clear positioning strategies, identify high-value offers, and build go-to-market plans that actually resonate with both users and buyers.

Whether you're launching a new product, scaling an existing service, or navigating digital transformation, I bring 12+ years of experience across clinical operations, healthcare innovation, and strategic development.

How I help:

• Clarify your product/service positioning so customers “get it”
• Align your offer with real market needs
• Build a Digital Health Roadmap to scale your healthcare organization effectively
• Support business development with industry-informed strategy

I’ve consulted on projects from multi-million-dollar state initiatives to early-stage product launches. My work’s been featured in Forbes, and I also speak at healthcare events and conferences on topics like innovation, digital health, and humanizing care. I also speak and train at healthcare conferences, events, and organizations on topics related to technology-enabled care, healthcare innovation, healthcare positioning, and humanizing the healthcare experience.

👉 Let’s connect and see if we’re a good fit.