Provoking Your Greatness - Misti Burmeister

Should you fire talented employees who frequently turn work in late and call in sick? If you could just get them to start working on projects sooner, they wouldn’t have to overexert themselves, wind up sick, and miss another deadline.   How about the ones who hoard information and don’t play well with others? Don’t they understand that the company’s success depends on a team effort?   Of course, there are many reasons to fire an employee, but don’t make the same mistake Gale almost did.   Sitting across from Gale, I listened as she shared a story about Tammy, a young woman she hired nearly two years earlier.   “She was probably at the top of her class in college—she’s smart, but we can’t seem to get her to complete projects in a timely manner. I think it’s a cultural thing,” Gale, the CEO of a well-established company, said.   “What do you mean by a ‘cultural thing?’” I asked.   “She’s from _____ (another country), and that must be the way they do things in that culture. She’s probably also still doing what c