If you know your boss is going to fire you and you really don’t want to lose your job, you should fight for your position!
I’m sure you could avoid being fired if you say the right things to your boss, it’s just a matter of knowing how to negotiate.
If you want to know how to talk your way out of getting fired, here are 10 things to bring up with your boss:
How to Talk Your Way Out of Getting Fired – 10 Things that Might Save You!
1. Start by Apologizing and Promise You’ll Change
If you’re going to get fired, I think it’s safe to say that you have some things to apologize for and things you would change if you could go back in time.
So these are two things give you a great place to start.
Before your boss can say those words, “You’re fired!” sincerely apologize for letting him, your coworkers, and the company down.
Tell him you’ve been thinking about how you can change and all the things you’ll do differently if they’re willing to give you another chance.
Related – 15 Signs you’re not paranoid and you really are about to be fired!
2. Offer to Be Put on A Probationary Period
When you’re in a situation where you might be fired, it’s not the time to act with pride or like you’ve earned the right to be in your position.
If your boss wants to fire you, but you really want to keep your job, offer to be put on a probationary period.
This will show that you’re willing to be evaluated on a daily basis and that you’re going to make the necessary changes to impress your boss going forward.
3. Tell Your Boss You’ve Learned Your Lesson
You could use your situation on the chopping block to tell your boss that this was the wake-up call you needed.
I assume you’ve been slacking off or not meeting expectations, so this is the time to tell your boss that you learned your lesson and it won’t happen again.
Let them know how you plan to change your ways and how this experience has made you a better employee.
If you’re convincing enough I’m sure there is a chance that your boss will let you keep your job.
4. Blame Your Performance on Personal Issues that You No Longer Have
We all have personal issues that interfere with work from time to time, if you’ve been let go or are about to be, this is the time to be upfront about any issues you had.
If you can use your recent personal issues as an explanation for why your work has been subpar, your boss might be more understanding and sympathetic.
But you have to make it clear that these issues are no longer affecting you and that your work will improve because of it.
5. Bring New Ideas to The Table that You Want to Work On
This is a bold way to try and turn things around but you could come to the meeting where you’re about to be fired with some new ideas.
If you can show your boss that you’ve been thinking about areas you can improve and your ideas impress him, this might be enough.
Not only will it show that you’re taking initiative, but it also gives your boss something to hold you accountable for if they decide to keep you on.
6. Point Out All the Things You Did Well
It’s easy for our managers and bosses to forget or not even know about all the things we do well and they can sometimes get caught up on the negatives.
If you’re about to get fired and want to keep your job, this is the time to point out all of your successes and fight for your job.
Make a list of all the things you’ve done well, how you’ve helped the company succeed, and how you plan to continue doing so if they decide to give you another chance.
7. Ask Your Boss if There Is Anything You Can Do to Save Yourself
Sometimes the best policy is to just come straight out and ask your boss if there is anything you can do to save your job.
It’s a way of cutting through the small talk and getting right to the point.
If there is something you can do, hopefully, they’ll tell you and you can prove to them how much it means to you to keep your job.
If there really isn’t anything you can do or say to keep your job, they might as well tell you so you can save wasting any time (and dignity).
8. Be Passionate About Not Wanting to Be Fired
It’s one thing to tell your boss that you don’t want to lose your job, but it’s another to really show them how passionate you are about it.
This is the time to be as genuine as possible and let your emotions show.
Be vulnerable, tell them how much this job means to you, how much you’ve dedicated yourself to the company, and how much you want to keep your job.
Your boss might be impressed by how much it means to you and how committed you are to changing – at least you can hope so.
9. Say You’ll Fund Your Own Training to Round out Your Skills
This might come across as desperate, but I’ve heard about this working before so it’s possible it’ll strike a chord with some managers.
If you’re about to get fired, you could try telling your boss that you’ll fund your own training to improve in the areas where you’re lacking.
This shows how dedicated you are to your role and professional development, and might just be enough to open the conversation or you staying.
10. Get Emotional and Tell Them how Much Your Job Means to You
This is a last-ditch effort but if you’re about to get fired, it might be worth trying.
If you can get emotional and tell your boss how much this job means to you, how it’s helped you in your life, and how much you don’t want to lose it, they might be moved.
This technique differs from proving yourself professionally and goes straight to tapping into their emotions and caring side.
It’s a long shot but if you’re about to get fired anyway, you don’t have much to lose!
Related – Here are tips for dealing with the emotional effects of being fired.
Why Would Your Boss Change Their Mind About Firing You?
First of all, no matter how unlikely you think it is that your boss will change their mind about firing you, it’s always worth a shot.
There are some real merits to keeping someone on over firing them, the main two are:
- You’re onboarded in the company and understand the culture, etc.
- It’s expensive recruiting and training new hires
So, if you can prove that you’re going to turn it around and start being a model employee, it might just be worth their while to keep you on.
It could save the company a lot of money, and unless you’re not getting on well with your boss, everyone likes to see a comeback story play out!
If you’re about to get fired, don’t give up hope just yet.
Try out some of these techniques and see if you can talk your way into keeping your job.
Good luck!
Image credits – Photo by airfocus on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.