I was having coffee with a friend a while back. Jonathan and I hadn’t talked in months, so it was great catching up.

Last time we met, Jonathan was a couple months into a new job. He was back managing a team after more than a decade away from it. Things had started out on a positive note, but it was early days and he’d still been finding his feet.

As we chatted, it was clear things had worked out. Jonathan had been surprised at how easy the transition had been. He led a team of 6. A talented and tight-knit group that did exceptional work. Add to that a boss he respected, interesting work. Sounded like everything had turned out great.

Everything except Aaron. The youngest member of Jonathan’s team.

In many ways, Aaron was a great fit for the team. Hard-working, collaborative, liked by all. But he wasn’t good at his job. He struggled with some of the most basic elements of his role.

It wasn’t that Aaron wasn’t trying. He was. But it took a lot of work on Jonathan’s part to get him there. Jonathan was spending more time with Aaron than with the rest of the team combined. Because everyone liked Aaron so much, the rest of the team didn’t mind. They would often help Aaron too. He was a great guy. But a bit of a project.

It had been close to a year. For all his effort, Jonathan wasn’t seeing much progress.

Jonathan liked Aaron. He didn’t want to give up on him.

But he wasn’t sure what to do next.

Sometimes You Can’t Fix It

Managers rarely build a team, they inherit one. And that means sometimes they inherit a team member like Aaron.

Someone who’s seen as a valued part of the team. A hard worker. A good fit in many ways.

But someone who isn’t able to do his job. Despite his best efforts.

It seemed obvious to me as an outsider that Aaron needed to go. But for the close-knit team, it felt like a betrayal of their friend.

And for Jonathan, it felt like his failure.

Evidence of his own inability to succeed as a manager.

It can be hard to accept that you can’t make it work. But sometimes, no matter how good you are, you can’t fix it. Sometimes people end up in jobs they can’t do.

Aaron’s enthusiasm far exceeded his abilities. No matter how hard Jonathan and the team tried, this was never going to work.

But what did that mean?

Keep Aaron. Change the Job

Aaron was never going to be successful in his current job. But what if his job changed?

Now, before you go down this road, you should know it’s a lot of work. A bit of a Hail Mary.

But there’s a solid business case to be made for this strategy.

Aaron was good at the more mundane, routine parts of his job. Were there other routine tasks that could roll into his job? And could the tasks that he struggled with be delegated to others in his team? Or elsewhere?

This wouldn't mean creating a job for Aaron that was all scut work. But work that others found tedious and mundane, Aaron might find challenging.

It would be a great win for Aaron and the team if this worked.

Jonathan would need his manager’s approval of course. And the expertise of a smart HR team to figure out all the details.

It’s a long shot, but for the right team, it’s worth a look.

New Job. Same Company

If rewriting the job isn’t an option, how about a new job at the same company?

Jonathan might be able to help Aaron find a spot in the company where his talents could fully utilized. Where he could succeed.

With any luck, HR will take the lead on this. But if HR isn't able to help, Jonathan could check with other managers to see what’s available. And the rest of the team could get in on the action too.

The more the merrier.

When There’s No Other Option

Sometimes there is no good answer.

Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, good people lose their jobs.

It’s the worst part of managing a team.

It's painful.

Should you find yourself in this situation, let HR lead the way. Firing someone is tough. You’ll need the expertise of the HR team and the support of your manager to help you through.

Take the Long View

For a leader like Jonathan, not being able to make it work with Aaron felt like a personal failure.

It’s wasn’t.

Keeping someone in a job they can’t succeed at is not a kindness. It’s crippling. At least for someone like Aaron.

Aaron was young. It was early in his career. He was still figuring things out. And he ended up in a job that he couldn’t do.

Not to be glib, but it happens. Especially in the early days of one’s career.

Aaron had skills and abilities that were untapped in his role on Jonathan’s team.

He had a lot going for him.

But he was in a job where, no matter how hard he tried, he could not succeed.

Imagine the impact that must have had on him. How that must have eaten away at his confidence little by little, day after day.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is help them move on.

Wrapping Up

If you find yourself with a great employee who has somehow found his way into the wrong job, it's your responsibility to sort it out.

Best case scenario, you'll keep him on your team or in your company.

But more likely, you’ll have to let him go.

Firing someone on your team is hard.

Firing someone who is a great person, doing the best they can. It's one of the hardest things any manager will ever have to do.

But it’s the right thing to do.