
Don't Fire Your Worst Team Member
From Ignoring The Rules by Wayne Robertson
June 4, 2026 · 25 min · Season 2 · Episode 61
About this episode
Wayne Robertson discusses the importance of developing struggling employees instead of firing them.
In this episode of Ignoring the Rules , Wayne Robertson challenges the knee-jerk leadership reaction to replace struggling employees. Firing may feel decisive, but it is often expensive, disruptive, and avoidable. Many underperforming team members are not lost causes — they are dealing with unclear expectations, poor coaching, misalignment, burnout, or fear. Wayne breaks down how to identify who can be coached, who cannot, and how developing a struggling employee can strengthen the entire team. Great leaders do not just find high performers. They build them.
People in this episode
Host: Wayne Robertson
Topics covered
- leadership
- employee development
- team performance
- coaching
- workplace dynamics
Keywords
- underperforming employees
- coaching
- leadership strategies
- team building
- employee retention
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- Bad Bosses and the Fine Art of Wasting Talent · May 14, 2026 · 26 min
- Leading While on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown · May 7, 2026 · 27 min
- The Silent War Inside Your Team · April 30, 2026 · 20 min
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