Knowing When to Let Go

I think I ought to write about some mistakes I've made in addition to the ones I've observed. One of mine was not letting go soon enough of someone who wasn't working out. Of course, we all have stories about hiring/firing/not firing the right people, but this was someone who was eager, smart, hard-working, and producing results. The problem is, the job changed.

It went from a macro job (doing market research) to a detailed job (putting all that research into an action plan). It took me a long time to admit this person didn't have the right skills to get the results I needed. I tried to lead, but she did not follow. I was encouraged by her own enthusiasm for the project, but ultimately I had to admit I was not getting exactly what I needed and I had to look for someone else.

It's hard to let go of people with energy, enthusiasm, and commitment, but ultimately it's about the results. I have not replaced her, but I'm no longer fretting about the checks I was writing to her, either. It was the right move.