Herein is reported a method for obtaining a polypeptide in monomeric form comprising the steps of a) providing a solution comprising the polypeptide in monomeric form and in aggregated form, wherein the ratio of monomeric to aggregated form is 4:1 or less as determined by size exclusion chromatography, b) performing a mixed-mode chromatography in bind-and-elute mode, or a hydrophobic interaction chromatography in flow-through mode, or a size-exclusion chromatography, and c) performing a weak cation exchange chromatography in bind-and-elute mode or flow-through mode, and thereby obtaining the polypeptide in monomeric form.