[starky]

I disagree with the idea that you should avoid hire/fire. Yeah they aren't happy words, but I'm far more annoyed by people who mince words and don't convey their point succinctly and clearly. At one point in the article the author uses the word "discontinue" as a synonym for firing someone, it took me far too long to confirm that firing is what he meant. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be tactful, but it is far more insulting to take someone into a room and tell them they are being "off-boarded".