Say it ain’t so, Kate

A message to our readers:

Dale: During the years that we’ve written this column together, Kate has come up with a lot of great ideas. Now she has a really bad one.

Kate: Sad, yes, but not bad. I must say my farewell. Dale and I started writing together in 1999, and we hit it off immediately. We have always had an immense respect for each other’s work, and our collaborative effort resulted in synergy and energy that has lasted all of these years. : I welcome my replacement, J.T. O’Donnell, to this exciting adventure. She’s in good hands with all of you. God bless you all in your lives and your careers.

Dale: Kate first mentioned leaving last summer, and I stalled as long as I could. But when I set out to find a replacement, I needed someone with experience and wisdom, but with something more than just common sense – with clever solutions and the insight to explain them convincingly. I needed someone with enough self-confidence to be humble.

Kate: And, in J.T., you found someone who is all those things.

Dale: Which I hope makes you feel only slightly less guilty about leaving us all. But yes. It took months, but I could at last say, “I think she could be as good as Kate.” And with that, I picked a final question for Kate, a topic about which she is passionate, and I will step aside and let her answer.

Q: I’ve been instructed to reduce my staff by four people. I’d like to be compassionate about laying them off, but all I’m hearing is that it’s best to say as little as possible and show them the door. That seems so cold. Any advice? – Ron

A: Kate: Many managers are afraid to compliment workers, fearing the “you-saids” that might show up in a wrongful termination suit.

But when I asked Alan Sklover, the well-known employee’s attorney, what might get a manager into trouble, he insisted that the risks were overblown. Other than suggestions of discrimination or personal attacks, the greatest danger was limited to promises of future assistance, benefits or compensation.

Rather, he encouraged kind words, offering examples: “Your being let go does not mean anything negative about you, personally. To the contrary, you are universally considered a kind, considerate and compassionate person.” And: “You have good friends here. We hope those friendships will continue.” It’s a cold, hard fact that they are being told to leave, but you can refuse to be cold or hard in delivering the news.