2 potential options: 1: Go for a walk. A long one. Near the beginning drop the news on him or her (I'll go with her for this) that you have decided to end her

2 potential options: 1: Go for a walk. A long one. Near the beginning drop the news on him or her (I'll go with her for this) that you have decided to end her employment. Identify three things that she does well, and three issues that you saw that were not resolvable. Work with her to help figure out the next step, and do what yo can to get her a good landing somewhere else. Accept responsibility for not being able to give the feedback that she requires, and talk about how, at this stage, you need someone who is more able to deliver concepts and finished product that is higher quality. The company cannot afford her at this stage. 2: Do the above but over a coffee nearby the office. Easier to stop the conversation early. 3: Have a performance review, and have a similar conversation, but work out how yo hand she are going to set targets for turnaround, get her the required help (external peers etc) to assist her and agree on a go/no-go decision date. As others have said it's better to turn things around than start again. Overall I've very seldom seen a decision to ask someone to leave that has not worked out well for both parties. Be brave, be honest, keep your integrity and let the other person keep their respect.