This is the post most managers would rather not read.
In my experience, managers more often wait too long than act too soon. I have done it myself. The delay feels kind. It rarely is.
Before I even think about it, one question has to have an honest yes: was the support real? Coaching, a fair plan, time, help. If not, the problem may be mine.
If it was, and the gap has not moved, waiting has a cost.
- The territory drifts, and the doctors notice.
- The team notices too. Good reps watch what happens when nothing changes for anyone.
- And the rep carries months of pressure without an ending.
When the decision is right, how it is done matters as much as the decision.
- Go through HR, properly and in full. A fair process protects everyone, the rep first.
- Say it clearly and kindly. If the earlier conversations were honest, the reasons are not a surprise.
- Keep it private and respectful. Thank them for what they gave, because they usually gave a lot.
Then look back. Was it the hiring, the onboarding or the coaching? That lesson belongs to me, not to them.
“Waiting too long feels kind. It rarely is, for the rep or the team.”
Lesson 3 of 6 in Step 6: Managing performance, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.