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Be_the_Link t1_iwsxzq8 wrote

I was a director at a large, older, software company in California. At the time we had about 18k global employees. Times got tough and they asked us to have our teams stack rank so that's what we did. One of my direct reports was pregnant with twins, but without a doubt the poorest performing member of my organization. My team had lots of visibility upwards so there was no hiding it. Thinking purely objectively I really had no choice, but the human in me still feels terrible about that. The VPs would scrutinize the lists and had a good sense of their teams, so you really have no choice but to be objective. It's rough. Rougher, of course, for that poor woman. FWIW her husband has a successful career so at least I knew she wouldn't be destitute.

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StuckAFtherInHisCap t1_iwtmsc5 wrote

This is the secret, lonely truth of being a manager. You occasionally have to make tough calls like this, and few people will have sympathy for you. But it’s essential work in any organization.

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kingkeelay t1_iwuyb7l wrote

I know it makes you feel better, but her husbands career should have fuck all to do with your decision. The fact that you even mention it shows you were biased in your decision making to let her go.

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WinterStar38655 t1_iwwfioi wrote

Her being a pregnant woman should also have fuck all to do with the decision.

The commenter literally states that she was objectively the worst performer.

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kingkeelay t1_iwxrgte wrote

Doesn’t sound very objective when the comment is sprinkled with more biased observations than objective facts about her performance.

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Be_the_Link t1_ixf5kxw wrote

It was not my decision. You are the biased one.

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