Walking The Line Between Being A Tyrant and Pushover Boss
Empathize, but remember your goal
It can be very tough to let someone go. You may watch someone try very hard, but simply fall short of your needs for a certain job. Neither of you win by keeping this person on. You can show empathy—you can explain that you know the job is hard—but you must keep your eyes on your goal (namely, the success of your company). You cannot let your company fail or decline, because you are too sensitive to let a weak employee go.