A Purpose-Path-Place Approach for Leaders Who Want to Keep Their Best People
A Reduction in Force (RIF) is one of the most severe shocks an organization’s culture can experience. In the weeks and months that follow, employee engagement doesn’t just dip—it fractures along predictable fault lines. Survivors question fairness, workload sustainability, leadership credibility, and their own future with the company.
At TMA Performance, we use the Purpose-Path-Place Model (an evidence-based framework built on Herzberg’s two-factor theory and decades of engagement research) to diagnose exactly where the employee experience has been damaged after a RIF—and, more importantly, to rebuild it faster and stronger than before.
The model has two layers:
- Satisfaction – the foundational hygiene factors (fairness, safety, resources, clarity, organization effectiveness).
- Purpose | Path | Place – the three interdependent drivers of true engagement.
After a RIF, every layer is stressed. The organizations that recover strongest treat the next 12 months as a deliberate rebuilding program—not a waiting game.
Post-RIF Damage & Recovery Levers (Purpose-Path-Place Lens)
| Layer | Most Common Post-RIF Damage | Highest-Impact Recovery Moves (First 90 Days) |
|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction | Perceived unfairness, crushed psychological safety, unsustainable workload, communication blackout |
|
| Purpose |
“Why did this happen?” vacuum, loss of belief in mission or viability |
|
| Path | Frozen development, stalled promotions, “I’m stuck” feeling |
|
| Place | Survivor guilt, fractured relationships, fear of speaking up |
|
Three Counter-Intuitive Moves That Consistently Deliver the Biggest ROI
- Ring-fence learning & development
- Protect 100% (or very close) of the L&D budget even while cutting almost everything else. The actual spend is tiny compared to payroll savings, but the signal — “We are still investing in your growth”—dramatically reduces voluntary attrition.
- Survey early (Days 5–14)
- Keep it anonymous and ultra-short (3–5 questions + one open text). The data will be raw, but it surfaces workload crises, fairness concerns, and manager-support gaps while they are still easy to fix.
- Focus on the intersections
- Real recovery happens in the overlaps:
- Purpose + Path = Inspired Growth
- Path + Place = Empowered Belonging
- Place + Purpose = Shared Identity
- When all three overlap, you reach the center of the model: thriving, engaged survivors who become your competitive advantage.
- Real recovery happens in the overlaps:
The 12-Month Measurement Roadmap
| Timing | Primary Focus | Example Questions + Key Indices | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 5 – 14 | Acute Satisfaction Shock |
|
Establish an honest baseline |
| Weeks 4 – 8 | Satisfaction to Purpose transition |
|
+1.0-1.5 pts |
| Months 3 – 6 | Purpose + Path |
|
+2.0 pts |
| Months 6 – 12 | Full Model + Place |
|
Return to or exceed pre-RIF levels |
Focus on the Next 12 Months
A RIF is painful, but it does not have to leave permanent cultural scars. Treat the next 12 months as the most important culture-building project you will ever run. Secure Satisfaction fast, re-ignite Purpose relentlessly, protect and accelerate Path aggressively, and re-weave Place intentionally. Do this through the disciplined lens of the Purpose-Path-Place Model, and the people who remain won’t just stay—they will become the most mission-aligned, growth-oriented, and fiercely loyal workforce you have ever had.
TMA Performance has guided leadership teams through exactly this process—from the raw first-week pulse to celebrating higher engagement scores 12 months later. If you’d like a complimentary post-RIF diagnostic built on the Purpose-Path-Place Model or a tailored 12-month recovery roadmap, we’re ready to help turn the hardest chapter in your company’s story into the beginning of its strongest.
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