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My team made a mistake recently. That is, we got more data. What's one lesson you'd share with a young manager you've just hired?
BLUF: We should've fired him one month ago.
In our restaurant, a peer of mine was underperforming financially, mistreating our employees, and rejecting attempts at coaching from our boss. A few months ago a family issue arose which accelerated his decline into ineffectiveness. We believed we could work with him and kept naively believing glimmers of hope (occasional "good" shifts) were visions of the future. About a month ago we knew he wasn't improving and stripped all his responsibilities. We put him on a 30-day notice after which he and our boss would decide whether he should stay.
Effect: During that month we experienced the lowest satisfaction scores in the region, morale was down, and a few veterans considered leaving. Productivity was directly harmed by his being late and mentally checked-out. We had given him a 5th chance at something we knew wasn't going to happen.
I learned to trust experience and analysis when an employee has shown a pattern of ineffective behaviors. Also, don't put people on notice. Either encourage future behavior through feedback and coaching, or fire them.
We let him go this week and have seen an immediate weight lifted off the chest of the staff. Just as important is his happiness on the new path he's planned for himself. Don't be afraid to trust your gut sometimes. You were chosen for a reason.