Sharing difficult truths can be one of the hardest things in life. Whether it’s a moment of honesty or a revelation that changes everything, telling someone a painful truth requires bravery and kindness.

The Story:

I had a guy working for me who was really nice and easy to get along with, but he just couldn’t do his job. It wasn’t that he didn’t try; he simply couldn’t learn even basic tasks. We tried everything to help him—coaching, giving him clear instructions, and having a team leader work with him for weeks. He still couldn’t do the job.

So, I had to find a different position for him in the company that would suit his skills better. He could either take a lower-paying job or be fired with a severance package. I wasn’t looking forward to having this conversation.

I called him in for a one-on-one meeting to tell him the news. The first thing he said was, “Hey boss, before we start, I want to say that I think I’ve been doing a great job here, and I’d like to talk about a raise.”

Yeah, that conversation was not fun at all.