Run-Up To Firing Gardener Worse Than Act Itself

I don't know how they do it. I'm referring to people who have to fire others, whether they're employees or employed for various positions. If firing people were part of my job description, I'd rather be doing almost anything else to earn a living.

Last week I fired the man who ran the gardening service we hired four years ago. He's a nice man, as is his employee who actually mows and trims our yard. But he rarely came around to check on what needed to be done, and his guy would mow dirt if that's what was there instead of a green lawn.

Still, it was a tough few weeks leading up to the firing. I would lie in bed at night, thinking about what I would say, what he might say, how I would respond, on and on. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I thought I should tell him why. Then I decided what the heck. Just fire him and get on with life. That's what I did.

A part of me hoped he wouldn't answer when I called. Then I could say my few words to the voice mail and that would be that. But he answered. Quickly, I told him it would work out better for us if we switched to someone else. I thanked him for his service and wished him well. I didn't tell him that he left our yard looking like something I might have hacked at with a machete. I didn't tell him that he must have saved large amounts of money by not spending it on fertilizers and insecticides. I didn't tell him that we had to regularly spray large patches of weeds because he didn't.

There are those who would say that I should have told him what he did wrong so he doesn't repeat it with other customers. He knew what he was doing. I would list what needed to be done -- all ordinary jobs for a gardening service -- and I'd call him. Eventually, he would come do some of them, telling me later that he might have overlooked some things on my lists, citing reasons that rarely made sense. Maybe it's a game he plays, sort of like seeing how long it takes before a customer has had enough, doing what's expected at just the last moment so he won't be fired. This time he waited too long and pushed me too far.

Anyway, ever since I fired him I've been getting great sleep. No more lying there thinking about the conversations that would never be. The new gardener starts today. I have my fingers crossed.