A client reached out to me when their office manager who had been recently promoted began shifting her behavior in ways that were creating real tension in the office. On one occasion she pressed an employee in front of his peers about leaving at his scheduled time, unaware that a reasonable accommodation had been made for personal reasons she was not entitled to know. She made a passive aggressive comment that embarrassed the employee and caused his colleagues to withdraw. The leaders wanted to terminate her immediately. I felt the rush and frustration, then said “ok, let’s take a minute”.
Moving to termination that quickly, without fully understanding the situation, not only carries legal ramifications but raises a more important question. Is it really the right call?
🔹First we did a fact check, and I collected as much information as possible. Asked about why she was promoted, what changed and what may have triggered the behavior.
🔹I provided the leadership team with a conversation guide, and we walked through a mock meeting together, so they felt prepared and confident.
🔹 I checked in with them after the meeting because I wanted them to know they had someone in their corner who genuinely cared about the outcome.
🔹 These conversations are hard. I have been having them for over 30 years, and they do not get easier. But what you have to remember is that most people do not come to work to do a bad job.
When the leaders sat down with the office manager something unexpected happened. She did not get defensive. She offered to apologize immediately. She wanted to do better.
✅ The office manager grew.
✅ Her relationship with her team improved.
✅ The business saved the cost of replacing and retraining someone.
Fact finding first. 📋
Setting the tone second. 🎯 Guiding the leader to a better outcome third. 💡
That is the work. And it is work you do not have to navigate alone. If you’ve been in this situation, I can help.