Well Gosh,
By now, James, you are probably sick of hearing from everyone and wishing you hadn't posted the question. If so, please don’t even bother reading this.
Hart1, you have some good thoughts on this, but as PARAGON alludes to, by calling your own comments "a esoteric path" (should be "a<span class="ev_code_RED">n</span> esoteric path", twice, nonetheless), and saying things like “for your benefit,” you make yourself sound incredibly arrogant and no one wants to bother listening to you.
I know many of the contributors to this thread personally and feel comfortable saying:
Shaggy, excellent observation! *****
ANYONE would be very fortunate to have DennisAJC for a boss or timgco for an employee.
But I have digressed. I try my best to always use the three strikes rule. That means if someone I have trusted (employee or friend) seems to have seriously broken that trust, I have a closed-door conversation with him or her. I try to stay humble and explain how it felt to me WITHOUT BLAMING THEM. I am willing to do this THREE TIMES before giving up on someone. In this case, I would have additionally explained how much more difficult it is to foster good morale among the employees than bad and how incendiary a poor attitude can be, especially from a leader in the company. I would do a lot of listening and self-reflection. Why would this man make such a comment and why did it fall so hard on you? One must wonder, is there a kernel of truth to it. Did this fellow have hopes of golfing with a client in order to secure some new bounty for your company? I think these are questions worth pondering for a while, regardless of whatever answers first come to mind.
Also, if this employee had seen the error of his ways and gotten mercy from you, the potential existed for ending up with one of the most loyal and trustworthy employees ever. That opportunity is now lost. And now, whatever negative feelings this guy had about you have (in his mind) just been proven true. And he and his family have now lost their source of income.
As to your remaining employees, you have added fuel to whatever conversation existed about you being an A-hole boss. (I'm NOT saying you are one, but you have just fueled that conversation). And, you have forced whatever conversation exists about you farther away from your own earshot. This is very dangerous and can topple a company. Many of the best ideas in business come from the bottom up. This is NOT a conduit you want closed. Also, if you have your employees living in a state of fear about saying what they really think or feel, you are severely limiting your companies potential for growth. Many bosses maintain an atmosphere of fear in the workplace. Not only is this morally reprehensible, but it misses the following: Employees contribute in work and ideas far above what they get paid, if they have some sense of ownership in their company. I’m not talking about stock holdings, I’m talking about people feeling that they are contributing to the company and helping steer it to success. You WANT your employees to express themselves freely. I have worked with many companies where employees LOVE the fact that their boss has all the trappings of affluence. It makes them feel that they are working for a profitable company that does good work and that their jobs are secure.
So as I have said, I try to give someone at least three opportunities to make good. And I don't do it as a trap. I make it very clear that I take ownership of the problem that I have with their actions. I let them know what the problem IS from my perspective and WHY it’s a problem for me. And I work with them on what the solution should be. I do this three times, before I write someone off. I don't know what type of business you own, but I would wager a hefty sum that your employees are your most valuable asset.
It is my hope that breaking things down in such detail might make them more accessible. If I am wrong, I am sorry. I try never to give advice unless asked. You asked. If you prefer the nutshell version, just see the earlier comment from TBDAugs. That pretty well sums it up.
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