Find out why. It may be that this employee needs a bit of motivation to get the job done or something may have changed in the job.
People develop shortcuts so they can get through their work more quickly. Sometimes that means that something important gets skipped. If that "something" is not something they see they may not know their their little shortcut is causing an increase in workload for someone else.
An employee is vocal about dissatisfaction with parts of the job or all of it, affecting overall morale.
Once again find out what changed. They may just be a whiner in which case let them go. Or they may be the lone person who is willing to tell you that something has gone wrong.
Organizational changes make an employee’s role unnecessary or redundant.
Careful about this one too.
Over the past couple of decades I have seen a number of receptionists and secretaries given the boot under this concept.
Computers mean executives can type their own letters and voice mail means no need for someone to answer the phones.
You end up with customers who drop you because they don't have the time to sit through your phone tree and you have executives you pay a quarter of million to stand in front of a copy machine.
An employee’s skills are not at the level required for the position and you don’t have the time for needed training or believe it will help.
In the "more training will not help" yes. In the "we don't have time," that was likely poor planing on your part.
An employee abuses company policies and privileges by being excessively late, taking too many vacation days or stealing items from the office.
If they have the days you were the one who gave them the time. Now if it is unpaid time different story. As long as it is not covered by FMLA. As for the rest, show them to the door.
An employee isn’t motivated about developing his or her skills to grow with the company.
Have you asked them to do so? Don't fire the guy for not leaning Japanese when you never mention that it will be a requirement for the job in the future.
You are suppose to be a BOSS. So lead. Tell them what you expect in plain language not in "mission statement" language.
You might have noticed that in nearly all cases I suggest that the Boss find out what is going on first. That is because I have seen many of them jump feet first into the abyss blithely unaware that it was there when a five minute chat with the employee concerned would have saved them much time and trouble.
Don't expect the person that you are firing to be helpful by passing along such useful information as they go out the door.
The reality is that bad management causes a lot of problems. Most people don’t know how to be good managers. They need the respect of their employees. They need the desire to get the job done in the most efficient highest quality way. And they need to know that when employees aren’t working out, you look into, figure out the problem and solve it decisively. If its changing something or communicating dissatisfaction or getting rid of the employee. But if the manager is motivated by getting the job done. Then he will likely make the right choice.