Tea with Tatyana Volume 1: Compassionate Terminations at Retreat Centers
Let's be honest—there are easier topics to discuss over tea than how to fire someone. But that's exactly what made our first volume of “Tea with Tatyana” so valuable. Tatyana Sanikovich is a seasoned HR expert with over a decade of experience in retreat centers and for the next six months she will be hosting a monthly call on tricky HR issues that all retreat centers face. Today, she brought both the warmth of a good cup of tea and the clear-eyed wisdom we need when facing one of leadership's most challenging moments.
The Three C's: A Framework That Actually Works
Tatyana shared a beautifully simple framework for approaching terminations: Clarity, Compassion, and Care.
Clarity means doing your homework. Be prepared, know exactly why you're having this conversation, and choose your setting thoughtfully.
Compassion is about the conversation itself—be direct (ambiguity helps no one), stay present with the person's reaction, and resist the urge to over-explain or minimize the impact. Tatyana emphasized the power of pauses, giving people space to process difficult news.
Care extends beyond the conversation. Honor the person's contributions, communicate appropriately with your team, and support the transition wherever possible.
The Retreat Center Twist
What makes this especially complex for our community? Many of us have staff living on-site, where the line between workplace and home, colleague and neighbor, becomes beautifully blurred—until it's time for a termination. Tatyana stressed the critical importance of clear housing agreements tied to employment, complete with move-out timelines and off-duty behavior expectations.
She also reminded us that communicating with the remaining team matters enormously. Share what you can while protecting confidentiality, address the uncertainty directly, and be clear about next steps.
Keep Learning Together
Tatyana will return on November 4th to discuss onboarding practices—because doing it right from the start matters too.
Until then, may your conversations be clear, compassionate, and caring.
