When I started at my current role, Tilt had recently grown from ~20 people in a very intimate office to ~40-50 people in one of those downtown SFO offices that they so perfectly captured on the recent season of Silicon Valley. At the time there was some internal discussion about what happens when someone leaves. Should people email the entire company - who needs to hear about this? In the older version of the company everyone was best friends with each other, ate lunch/dinner together, and worked long hours building out the product. As a company grows out and attracts people from different backgrounds, they will necessarily be less invested than the original team of builders.
And, yes, some of those people who were part of the initial team of builders will leave, especially after a few years. It’s very difficult for a company to be continually fresh, and eventually people are going to want to take on a new set of challenges, build completely different networks of people, or leave for companies focused on a completely different subjects or missions. Maybe they’ll even go off to start something new themself!
One of my favorite sayings at Rackspace was Graham Weston’s line:
Everyone will have a last day at Rackspace
The thing I love about this line is that it accepts the truth that sometimes people need to spread their wings and try something else. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t do everything you can to keep your top performers. Appreciate the time you have together as precious resource and celebrate their time when they choose to take on a different opportunity. A positive attitude towards attrition goes a long way, and people will see what a “last day” is like as a reflection on the company.
Summary
- People will eventually leave your company and your team for a variety of reasons
- Stay professional and encourage the best things for their future growth and development
- Create a positive environment where you can attract new people