Saying goodbye to Blendle (from a colleague) and to a colleague (from Blendle) is a very normal and natural thing. When done right, it can even be a beautiful thing.

We advise you to read the backdrop below first, but feel free to jump in right away with the 'Here's what you can do'-section :). General note: you do not have to do this alone, so please ask for advice and help!

• Backdrop

Here's what you can do:

1. Actively think about the possibility that someone's time at Blendle is up. At least every month for everyone in your team.
2. Flag this at HR/MT when that happens.
3. Ask for help if needed already at this stage.
4. Analyse (maybe together) the problem and give feedback to the person in question: try to get on the same page about where things go 'wrong'. These are pointers which might steer your thoughts. Real situations are always more complex.

   • Someone is underperforming. Try using the Matrix™ to track down the areas where you think things should improve. Give actionable feedback and try to 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 Blendle 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 changing roles and put effort into telling your people what changed instead of implicitly expecting people to understand what changed. A changing role can be a reason for someone to no longer be the perfect match. 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. Blendle is still a small company so we can't just offer every possible career path. Use 1 on 1's to talk about someone's ambition and career path. Be honest and realistic about the possibilities at Blendle. 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 (in terms of skills, expertise, personality, experience). The next question is whether Blendle 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, Blendle 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.

5. Try to fix it together. Come up with a plan to improve the situation. Put a plan in motion and keep giving feedback.
6. Finish it up on time if the situation is not progressing. You can do someone a favour by telling them the time has come to move on. This is the part where you signal HR, Rick and Alex that both parties tried everything but you think it's best to part ways. They will help you through the process.

Work at Blendle