dispatches from the new world of work

The "Best" Way to Deal With a Termination

The need to upgrade talent can create heart-wrenching decisions for even the most battle-hardened executives and small business owners these days, especially the firing of long-standing employees or partners who may have been critical to the development of the business, but who now appear to stand in the way of progress. But how do you as an executive/owner deal with this?

Pete Best is a mini-case study of how NOT to deal with it—especially if you're a small business. 1) Break the news to the partner through a third party. 2) Don't explain the reasons why the partner is being fired. 3) Don't ever speak to him again (even 45 years later). In this case, the firing became all the more significant to the individual because the small business went on to become a billion-dollar revenue producer.

I had the chance to chat with Pete Best three weeks ago, and he showed surprising equanimity—he certainly did not consider himself a victim. "It's fine—I moved on," he said, cheerfully commenting on his life since the Beatles. After raising a family as a civil servant in England, he eventually returned to playing the drums and is currently touring North America with the Pete Best Band, a very capable rock & roll unit. But to this day he doesn't know why he was suddenly dropped by the Beatles and replaced by Ringo, a few weeks before they recorded their first hit in England, "Love Me Do," in 1962. Despite Pete's 3 years of performing with the Beatles in Hamburg and Liverpool—and being a critical component of their distinct "wall of sound" rock & roll brand at the time—John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney never spoke to him again, despite numerous opportunities to do so. The reason for his firing, according to most accounts, is that EMI recording engineers and producer George Martin thought Pete couldn't cut it in the recording studio. But engineer Norman Hurricane Smith, who was present for the Beatles' EMI audition, was adamant in his denial when he spoke to me in March: "We thought Pete had trouble getting the right beat for one particular song, but that certainly wasn't grounds for replacing him in the band." (After all, many drummers—including Ringo himself—were replaced by "studio musicians" on particular records.) Many other reasons have been cited—including jealousy by other band members that Pete got the lion's share of teen adulation—but the truth in such matters becomes more elusive with time.

If you ever have to deal with the firing of a partner or direct report, obviously you should communicate immediately and directly to the individual, and explain your reasoning in detail. And if you're the individual being terminated, you can aspire to display the grace and good spirit of Mr. Peter Best.

John O'Leary posted this on 07/13/07.

Comments

I agree, terminations can be painful especially when you don't understand why it happened. But I wonder did Pete Best aggressively pursue John, Paul, and George and demand an explanation. It reminds me of employees who complain that they never get any performance feedback from their boss. I always ask, "Have you gone to your boss asked for feedback?" Most of the time a direct request gets results.
Paul B. Thornton

Posted by Paul B. Thornton at July 13, 2007 4:17 PM

Great point Paul and how often the issue of communication being a two way process is conveniently overlooked to suit our own agenda. â€˜Avoidanceâ€™ is often a cop-out. Why is it we accept something without asking for reasons? â€“ Itâ€™s a mystery. Many of us might say â€˜I welcome criticismâ€™ â€¦ For most of us thatâ€™s a lie - criticism hurts and we donâ€™t like it. So to ask for reasons why we have been sacked means facing something we donâ€™t want to hear.

Posted by Trevor Gay at July 13, 2007 4:42 PM

Next time I speak to him I'll ask if he tried to get an answer for why he was sacked. Brian Epstein reportedly told him the "the boys" wanted him out and had already arranged for Ringo to replace him. Perhaps Epstein told him why and Pete, in a state of shock, didn't remember. I've heard at least a half dozen reasons - all a part of Liverpool folklore. (BTW, Pete's good friend, Neil Aspinall, the Beatles road manager, was ready to quit on the spot in protest, but Pete magnanimously talked him out of it, so he seemed determined to take the high road.)

As a general rule, of course, it's a good idea to find out the "why" if you've been terminated. That probably beats wondering for 45 years. But ol' Pete is doing fine for himself now, with a DVD ("The Best of the Beatles"), a book ("The Beatles: the True Beginnings"), and record royalties from the Beatles Anthology 1.

Posted by John O'Leary at July 13, 2007 9:43 PM

In spite of being sacked Pete succeeded. It sounds like he practiced the rule--"drop your anger and move on." People who stay angry seem to never achieve their potential.

Posted by Paul B. Thornton at July 13, 2007 10:38 PM

It's not the fall that matters, it's the recovery. From what I've read lately Pete B made lemonade from lemons. Its an inspiring story especially for people who have been dealt severe setbacks, whether losing their job or their entire business.

Posted by Henry at July 14, 2007 3:39 PM

Paul, I think Pete IS a great example of "dropping your anger" - but it seems that many others retain and USE that anger for motivational purposes. Maybe that's fine as long as you're doing it from choice AND you're not eating yourself up in the process. Different strokes for different folks?

Posted by John O'Leary at July 15, 2007 11:09 AM

1. Clearly Trevor Gay is expert on termination ... having been frequently terminated throughout his "career". :>] - Plus past due time to review/terminate NHS "MD's" of the radical Islamic persuasion!

Posted by Sean at July 16, 2007 9:28 AM

Thanks again Sean - I do really appreciate your regular praise - I am not used to such idolic adulation :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at July 16, 2007 10:47 AM

I'll paraphrase an old axiom "be careful of what you wish for becasue you just might get it".

Consider the Fabs' drive to be the toppermost of the poppermost, and how it ultimately resulted in murder of JL and attack on GH, and forcing them all to live in a bubble. In other words, look in mirror and query: what is the true meaning of success in any venture: Is "fame and fortune" the yardstick..or is a better measure found in health, happiness,respect of your peers, freinds and, overall, good balance and doing something you LOVE i your own life..and the lives of those close to you ? We should all be so lucky as to be blessed with the grace and good spirit that Mr O'Leary refers to. A new generation of writers is starting to more accurately reflect the history of that time period and the true contribution of PB on the Fab's launchpad.
By all means, take a look at True Beginnings and, as Mr O'Leary can tell you...read the very last page first--with only your own pre-conceived notions as context)...and you'll find yourself enjoying the book even more as the context--an amazing story itself-- unfolds before you.

Posted by je at July 16, 2007 12:02 PM

For a leader to terminate a long term emloyee/associate who has put time and talent into an enterprise w/o any explaination negates their entire leadership role in the business, for a true leader's number one attribute is caring.

Posted by jeri at July 18, 2007 11:17 AM

Jeri -- rat own, rat own, rat own...

Posted by Red Island Rhodes at July 18, 2007 12:14 PM

je: your comments remind me that terminations can be short-term disasters but long-term blessings. (And that applies to love as well as work!)

Pete Best, to his credit, would probably not trade his last 45 years - which includes a nurturing family life - for the crazy life he would have had with the Beatles. This assumes the Fab Four would have gone on to become wildly successful with him as the drummer, but I, for one, don't doubt it. The difference is they would have had a harder rock & roll edge. Pete was/is a solid musician. (As Ringo was/is.)

Posted by John O'Leary at July 20, 2007 2:29 PM

I've been on the receiving end of terminations that were certainly 'short term disasters' but in retrospect were turning points in my professional life. Its unfortunate that pain is often the best teacher but if you read the biographies of the most successful business entrepreneurs you'll find lots of examples of painful failures. But the bounce back is what separates the great from the mediocre. Pete hit the mat harder than anyone I can think of in the business world -- and it must have been at a young age -- but he climbed back in the ring and won some big battles.

Posted by Henry at July 21, 2007 6:34 AM

It is perhaps also important that the person doing the firing explains not only why but offers a critique of the positive skills and talents of the person being fired. It's all good and well to be told that your skills are suitable but some advice on where the skills are effective would be great for that person being terminated in their job search.

Posted by Daryl Close at September 3, 2007 9:39 AM