16/08/2026
Bright GMAT: In 'The Manager’s Handbook', David Dodson, MBA ’87, describes the book as “the book I wished someone had handed me when I first became a manager.” As a lecturer in management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Dodson presents it as a practical guide for managers who are serious about getting things done—including building strong teams by hiring the right people and, when necessary, letting the wrong people go.
Terminating an employee is one of the most difficult responsibilities a manager faces. Leaders often delay the decision because they do not want to hurt someone’s feelings, but postponing it can make the situation worse. According to Dodson, effective leadership requires accepting that difficult conversations are sometimes part of the job.
So how can a manager handle a termination with respect and fairness?
Meet one-on-one. Having another manager or HR representative present can make the employee feel distrusted and may not necessarily provide additional legal protection. Unless circumstances require otherwise, the conversation is best handled privately.
Protect the employee’s privacy. Losing a job can be deeply embarrassing and may be one of the most difficult experiences of someone’s professional life. Hold the meeting somewhere other employees cannot observe. If the employee needs a moment to collect themselves, give them privacy before continuing.
Be direct and brief. Dodson argues that “directness is kindness.” A termination meeting should be short—ideally no more than about 10 minutes—and the message should be unmistakably clear. Avoid vague language that could leave the employee believing the decision is negotiable or that their role is simply changing.
Focus on what comes next. The initial conversation should concentrate on the terms of the separation rather than a detailed explanation of past performance. In the moment, extensive feedback can cause the employee to become defensive or discouraged. If they want a fuller explanation, consider offering a separate conversation after they have had time to process the news.
Prepare for practical questions. Managers should be ready to explain logistics such as final pay, unused vacation, benefits, insurance, and other transition details. As Dodson puts it, “Preparation is compassion.” Employees are likely to feel more secure when they leave knowing what happens next.
Provide a written transition agreement. Give the employee a clear document outlining the terms of the separation and allow appropriate time for review.
Keep the focus off your own emotions. Avoid comments such as “This is so hard for me” or “I hope we can still be friends.” The conversation should not become an outlet for the manager’s discomfort. Nor should responsibility be shifted to a boss, board, or other authority. As Dodson emphasizes, the person making the decision needs to own it.
Ultimately, letting someone go with dignity requires clarity, preparation, privacy, and respect. The goal is not to make an inherently difficult conversation painless, but to handle it in a way that is honest, humane and fair.
Here are some Bright Prep style GMAT practice questions based on the passage, focusing on Reading Comprehension skills such as main idea, inference, application and author’s purpose.
1. Main Idea
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
A. To argue that employee termination should always involve an HR representative
B. To explain how managers can terminate employees in a respectful and effective manner
C. To demonstrate that most managers are uncomfortable making termination decisions
D. To compare different approaches to employee dismissal
E. To argue that employee performance reviews are ineffective
Answer: B
2. Inference
The passage suggests that managers who postpone terminating an employee because they are concerned about hurting the employee’s feelings are likely to:
A. Improve the employee’s performance
B. Increase the employee’s confidence
C. Make the eventual termination more difficult
D. Avoid potential legal problems
E. Strengthen their relationship with the employee
3. According to the Passage
According to Dodson, why should a manager avoid saying, “This is so hard for me”?
A. It could make the employee question the legality of the termination.
B. It shifts attention from the employee to the manager.
C. It suggests that the manager is uncertain about the decision.
D. It could encourage the employee to negotiate the terms of separation.
E. It makes the meeting unnecessarily long.
Answer: B
4. Application
A manager has decided to terminate an employee. Before the meeting, the manager reviews the employee’s unused vacation balance, insurance status, final paycheck, and separation documents. Which principle from the passage is the manager most clearly following?
A. Respect their privacy
B. Keep it quick
C. Look ahead
D. Preparation is compassion
E. Take responsibility for the decision
5. Inference
Why does Dodson recommend discussing detailed performance feedback in a separate meeting, if necessary?
A. Employees generally do not have the right to receive performance feedback during termination.
B. Performance feedback is irrelevant once a termination decision has been made.
C. The employee may be too emotionally affected by the termination to respond constructively.
D. Performance feedback can create additional legal exposure for the company.
E. Managers generally do not have enough time to discuss performance.
Answer: C
6. EXCEPT Question
According to the passage, all of the following are recommended practices when terminating an employee EXCEPT:
A. Providing information about the terms of separation
B. Holding the meeting privately
C. Preparing answers to practical questions
D. Explaining in detail why the employee failed to meet expectations
E. Communicating the decision clearly and directly
7. Author’s Reasoning
The statement “Directness is kindness” most strongly implies that:
A. Managers should avoid discussing the employee’s feelings.
B. A short and unambiguous explanation can reduce unnecessary uncertainty for the employee.
C. Managers should terminate employees as quickly as possible.
D. Employees generally prefer not to know why they are being dismissed.
E. Managers should communicate termination decisions in writing rather than verbally.
Answer: B
8. GMAT Critical Reasoning
A manager believes that having an HR representative present during every termination meeting demonstrates professionalism and protects the company from potential legal problems. Based on Dodson’s advice, which of the following would most weaken the manager’s reasoning?
A. HR representatives are often responsible for handling separation paperwork.
B. Some employees may feel more comfortable speaking with HR than with their managers.
C. The presence of another manager or HR representative may signal distrust without necessarily reducing legal exposure.
D. Termination meetings can sometimes last longer than 10 minutes.
E. Employees may have questions about benefits and insurance.
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𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑝 𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐺𝑀𝐴𝑇 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛:
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 → “𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒” 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑠 → 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 → 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒/𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 → 𝐶𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐺𝑀𝐴𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡-𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.
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