The word closure only came into my vocabulary around the year 2000/01. A particular client was always in the habit of “seeking closure.” At that time knew the word but didn’t understand the power behind it.
Last week I had the privilege of a 2 hour chat with my old boss from 9 years ago. It was a very good meeting and i was able to ask him many questions and find the rational behind many decisions that he had made. the biggest question I had for him was, “Why did you tolerate so many non-performers?” This is a question that had bugged me for a long time and I was looking forward to an answer. He replied:
The system brings people into an organization. Once they are in, we have to make the best of them. Each person is good for different things. While others may have felt that these people were non-performers, I knew how best to use them (and he then cited very specific examples which made a lot of sense). The easy thing to do is to put a label on them and call them non- performers, the hard thing to do is to help them become performers. I made the second choice…
For right or wrong, I had the answer and I finally had closure. I now can full let go of the past as all outstanding matters have been resolved.
As mangers, we need to ensure we give our staff closure. Only with closure they can move on. Sitting on a decision is not closure, deciding is. Stacking up our in tray is not closure, acting on the stack is. Many organizations suffer from a lack of closure – event at the management team level. As a result, it slows down and frustrates those below.
The importance of Closure is that, for right or wrong, it allows people to move on…
MindSpring 
Alsaid
March 27, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Closure…..even our life has closure that is Death. Now, when I attend a meeting, I will get frustrated and irritated if the meetings do not have a closure on the objective of the meeting. If not I felt it is a BWOT (B….Waste Of Time). (As mentioned in your earlier article).
Another area about the Non-Performer. I truly agree with your ex bosses. Most organization never set targets or deliverables to the employees and then named them Non-Performer without basis. Who is the Non Performer? The individual who did not set the target OR the individual who is named Non Performer (without basis). When an individual is engage to the system (when he/ she is employed)…he/she feel joy and happiness, motivated and full of hope….and then the management do not care and manage them…..and then named them non performers…and later destroy them….not one human live but even the ones connected to that human live that you named “Non Performer”. Many come to work with intention to do a job unless they have a mental disorder. If the organization cannot manage the people they employed, DO NOT EMPLOY THEM!!!
Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company – Zig Ziglar
The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people – Thomas J. Peters
Taukeh
March 30, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Alsaid perpective seem to be a very pro employee.Let me ask you a question,”What will you do ,as an employer ,if you no longer require a particular employee because the position is no longer relevant and you have excess staff to meet your business needs”At the same time you also do not have sufficient cash to pay off.
Naturally ,you will hide behind the word,” non performers”.Sounds just and fair when the dismissal takes place.Ethically wrong but business wise.Sometimes it is important to “lift the veil”,only then we will understand in what context the word ‘NON -PERFORMER’ has been used.This strategy is commonly used in ailing GLC’S.Who wins the “tug a war “?.Nobody !eventually both company and employees are at loss.Therefore ,no matter how difficult it maybe,we must ractify hiring mistakes,excess staff and actual non performers.TIll than ,this will a cost to business than will slowly destroy the livelihood of all in the company.But too bad,only farsighted leaders are able to see long term consequences.