Most firing decisions are made 3-6 months too late. Run the call through a CEO, an Operator, an Empath, a Lawyer, and a Skeptic — and decide with structure, then act with care.
The panel debates whether the issue is fixable (coaching, role change) or terminal (fit, capability, integrity).
The Operator designs the timeline — immediate vs PIP vs negotiated exit — based on the specific case.
The Lawyer flags risk areas — protected class, retaliation, missing documentation — before the decision is made.
The Empath weighs how the team will read the decision and what they need to hear afterward.
Real questions. Multiple expert perspectives. Every time.
“My senior hire isn't performing — fire, PIP, or role change?”
“Should I fire someone who's great culturally but underperforming?”
“I avoided firing for 6 months — is it too late to do it now?”
“Severance amount for a 2-year tenured employee being parted with?”
“How do I fire someone in a small company without destroying morale?”
“Should I do this Monday or Friday? Morning or end of day?”
Each expert thinks independently — they won’t just agree with each other.
The CEO
Holds the through-line on company strategy and stakeholder trade-offs.
The Operator
Turns strategy into the boring, sequenced work that actually ships.
The Empath
Reads the emotional, cultural, and team dynamics behind the decision.
The Lawyer
Flags legal exposure and contract risk before they become incidents.
The Skeptic
Questions every premise. Finds blind spots others miss.
A synthesized recommendation from your team of experts — not just opinions, but structured analysis.
Moderate Agreement
Key Recommendations
Synthesized Recommendation
Part with the senior hire now, not via PIP. The issue is fit, not capability — PIP will produce false hope and prolong the team's frustration. Offer 8 weeks severance, healthcare continuation, and a graceful narrative. Communicate to the team within 24 hours with a clear, brief statement; over-explaining signals weakness.
Full analysis continues with detailed reasoning, trade-offs, and next steps...
Watch Out For
Expert Opinions
Most firing debates skip the diagnosis — capability gaps and fit issues need different interventions.
The Lawyer flags exposure risks most operators miss — protected class, missing documentation, retaliation patterns.
The Empath represents the survivors' experience — what they see, what they fear, what they need.
Sessions stay in your account; describe the situation without exposing the individual.
The questions people ask before they sign up.
When you've been avoiding the decision for 60+ days, when the team has visibly worked around the person, or when their continued presence has cost more than their original recruitment. The Boardroom will pressure-test against your specific case.
No — PIPs are for capability gaps with a credible path back, not for fit issues. The Boardroom will distinguish; misusing PIPs as exit theater is one of the most damaging patterns for both the individual and the team.
For non-cause: typically 1-2 weeks per year of tenure with a floor of 4-8 weeks. The Lawyer and CFO will calibrate against your local norms and the legal exposure of stinginess.
Same-day, brief, forward-looking, without defaming the parted employee. The Empath will help script the message specific to your team's culture and the circumstances.
Yes — describe the situation, your goals for the conversation, and the panel will pressure-test the script. Most firing conversations go wrong because they're over-rehearsed or under-rehearsed; the right level is somewhere in the middle.
Yes — sessions are private to your account. Describe the situation without sharing names; you can debate the most sensitive personnel call without exposure.
Adjacent decisions, audiences, and methods inside SynthBoard.
When the question is really hire instead of fire.
ExploreThe system that should catch this earlier.
ExploreRecurring CEO advisor on people decisions.
ExploreSaaS-specific termination patterns.
ExploreHow AI debate compares to coaching.
ExploreImagine the firing went badly — what would have caused it?
ExploreHow structured AI debate works.
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