炒鱿鱼：CEO的必修课

    处在上面这些情况下，无论具体担任什么职责，解雇一个人都不是件愉快的事，但对于初创企业的首席执行官来说，它可能更加痛苦，因为很多时候你解雇的人可能是你曾经花费数月时间才说服他们放弃一切、和你一起干的人。他们和你同甘共苦、患难与共。为了实现你的梦想，其中一些人曾经不知疲倦、辛苦工作。

    这时，你会意识到自己真的是一位首席执行官。你必须将一位朋友叫到一边，向他们解释，虽然他们的技能依然卓越突出，但已不再符合这一职位的要求。或者，你打算从外面请人担任他们的老板。又或者，你已经付不起钱来继续留住他们。

    我们都是正派人士，总是希望能为每位雇员做到最好。如果有人情况不理想，我们总是希望“给他们找一个位置”，希望能够永远留住所有人。

    但我们有更重的责任，要考虑公司的其他众多利益攸关方，什么对他们是最有利的，因为他们中很多人同样投入了时间、才华或金钱，希望你尽己所能，不负所托，即便这个过程有时可能让人非常难受。

    和一个人说“再见”永远都不是件容易的事。但很多时候必须这样做，这样做也没什么不对。在这样的情况下，如实评估现实、支付一笔慷慨的遣散费对所有人都是件好事，包括你自己。

    马克•兰多夫（@mbrandolph）是一位资深的硅谷企业家、高科技行业管理人士兼初创企业顾问。近年来，Marc共同创立了互联网影视流媒体服务网站Netflix，并出任第一任首席执行官。他的博客地址是http://www.marcrandolph.com/

    Firing someone in any of these circumstances is brutal regardless of your position, but for the start-up CEO it can be even more excruciating, because in many cases you are firing someone you spent months convincing to give it all up and set sail with you. Stand with you. Take a risk. And someone who worked tirelessly to help make your dream happen.

    That's when you know you're really a CEO. When you have to take aside a friend and explain that their skills, however formidable, are just no longer up to the requirements of the position. Or that you're bringing in someone from the outside to be their boss. Or that you simply can no longer afford to keep them around.

    As decent human beings we always want to do what's best for each and every one of our employees, and when someone's not working out, it's always tempting to "find a spot for them" so that we can keep everyone on board in perpetuity.

    But we have a deeper responsibility, which is to consider what's best for the many other stakeholders in this venture – many of whom took equivalent leaps of faith with their time, talent or money – and are expecting you to do everything in your power to bring them home safely, regardless of how unpleasant it may sometimes be.

    It's never easy to say goodbye to someone, but that doesn't mean it's not often the necessary and right thing to do. It's at times like this that an honest appraisal of the situation and a generous severance will be the best thing for everyone involved. You included.

    Marc Randolph (@mbrandolph) is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, high tech executive and startup consultant. Most recently Marc was co-founder of the online movie and television streaming service Netflix, serving as their first CEO. He blogs at http://www.marcrandolph.com/