Power and responsibility

Last week my manager asked my opinion of a new developer who started about six weeks ago. The trouble is... he's not very good. The primary problem is one of communication rather than ability (though he's not exactly shining when it comes to ability either) - his English is quite frankly atrocious and he's obviously struggling to understand what's being asked for him. It doesn't help matters that he has an awful habit of smiling and nodding and saying "yes" even when he doesn't understand what you're talking about. Of course, he also displays exactly the same behaviour when he does understand what you've said which makes it rather difficult to hold any sort of discussion with him. There have been several incidents when we've talked about something, and I thought he understood what I wanted, only to later discover that he didn't and rather than seek clarification he'd ploughed on with something that was obviously wrong instead. It's frustrating for me, and I'm sure it's also frustrating for him, though it's rather hard to say behind the smiling and nodding and yesses.

At first I thought it was just my accent that was causing trouble, but I've since witnessed similar behaviour when he's been conversing with other members of the team too, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better as the weeks roll by. My manager is growing increasingly concerned with his performance thus far, and I share his concerns. He's within his probation period right now, and there's a very real chance he won't be kept on after that time is up. My recommendation is that we should let him go. It feels like a terribly harsh judgment to make of someone whose circumstances I know little about, but from an objective standpoint it's the right move for the company. That doesn't make me feel any happier about it, though. I've never been comfortable with authority, but it's recently been pointed out to me that I wield an increasing amount of it. That this should be my first act after that realisation disturbs me greatly.

Do no harm. That's probably the only rule in this life I try seriously to live by. I'm not about to debate the merits and flaws of such a maxim but I will quietly ponder it's compatability with my present station...