Saying goodbye is a very normal and natural thing. The most common situation will be when someone is no longer a good match with Purpose in Play for whatever reason. This doesn't happen overnight, so we try to spot situations where this is happening.

Saying goodbye to people is also and an essential part of keeping the team on the right track.

Here’s what we can do:

When this happens, we try to analyze (maybe together) the problem and give feedback to the person in question: try to get on the same page about where things go 'wrong'. The following are pointers that might steer your thoughts. Real situations are always more complex.

• Someone is underperforming. Try to track down the areas where you think things should improve. We'll try to give actionable feedback and come up with concrete points to work on in his/her personal goals. Don't wait for the feedback cycle; the time is always now.
• Someone stopped growing or learning. This isn't necessarily an immediate problem, but it can be because most people like working at Purpose in Play because they grow and learn so much. Someone standing still for a year is a red flag.
• Someone's role is no longer a match. Roles, jobs and their demands change. They aren't static. Pay attention to the evolving roles and try telling your people what changed instead of implicitly expecting people to understand what changed. A changing role can be a reason for someone to be the perfect match no longer. Tell someone what we expect from them, make it clear. Work together to match those new demands but be honest if it doesn't work. This also works the other way around: some roles don't change, but people do.
• Someone wants to grow in a different direction. Purpose in Play is still a small company, so we can't just offer every possible career path. Use 1-2-1's to talk about someone's ambition and career path. Be honest and realistic about the possibilities at Purpose in Play. Think about whether you think someone would be a good fit for that role and tell them what would be needed to get to that point (skills, expertise, personality, experience). The next question is whether Purpose in Play has a role like that vacant. Be realistic and open about this.
• Someone believes in a different direction for the company or the team. Everybody is really invested on an abstract level. We get out of bed every morning because we believe in what we are doing. That belief might shift and that is okay, as long as we talk about it. If you notice someone losing belief and probably disagreeing with everything that happens, that is a red flag.
• Time is up. Sometimes it's this simple. People grow, evolve, change, Purpose in Play does the same. People have the tendency to go for what they know. We believe it's very healthy to move on after a while, before the milk turns sour.