What to Do When You’re Put on a Formal Performance Improvement Plan - Eat Your Career (2024)

by Chrissy Scivicque | Aug 13, 2019 | Career Planning

No one goes to work with the intention of performing poorly.Yet, it happens. Quite frequently, I hear from people who have been put on aformal Performance Improvement Plan (or PIP) and they’re wondering how tohandle it. The process can be overwhelming and emotional. However, if managedwell, a PIP can actually lead to some important personal and professionaldiscoveries. As hard as it is to believe, it can actually be a good thing.

Of course, in order to reap positive benefits from a PIP,you have to approach the situation thoughtfully. Instead of immediately seeingit as the final nail in the coffin of your career, try to see it as a sign thatit’s time to pause and re-evaluate. Don’t beat yourself up; remember that thesethings happen all the time, often to very good people who are trying their bestbut ultimately falling a little short. Many people do recover and even growfrom the situation, and YOU can certainly be one of them.

If you’re looking for some clear no-nonsense steps for whatto do when you’re put on a formal Performance Improvement Plan, keep reading.

1. Hopefully, it’s not a surprise

First, before we get to your action plan, it’s important toaddress this critical point: Hopefully your managerhas given you fair warning that this might be coming. A good manager will havegiven you constructive feedback along the way. He or she will have attempted tosteer you in the right direction long before putting you on a PIP.

A Performance ImprovementPlan should not come as a complete shock. Most managers see this as a big step,and they understand that there will be a natural emotional response on the partof the employee. They don’t often go into this lightly.

That being said, a PIP isusually one of the final steps before exiting an employee. The manager has (hopefully)offered a lot of support up to this point. But once it’s made formal in thisway, the manager is saying, “This is it. You need to make some serious changesor there will be consequences.”

If you are put on a PIPout of the clear blue, you either (1) have a bad manager or (2) have not beenpaying attention to the signs along the way. Both options are possible, sospend some time in self-reflection to see what you might have missed before placingthe blame on your manager.

2. Review the requirements for reasonableness

Onceyou receive your written PIP, review the requirements that have been stated forreasonableness. What specific improvements have been defined and are thosereasonable improvements to be expected of you in the given time period? Arethese things you can reasonably achieve given where you are right now? Or, isit an unreasonable leap that is being required?

I knowthat a lot of you (my blog readers) trust me because I recognize the complexityand nuance of workplace issues like this. So, let me be honest: Sometimes, a PIP is a means of creating adocument trail to eventually terminate the recipient. The manager is not trulyinterested in seeing the person improve; instead, he or she is just taking thenecessary steps to get them removed.

If youlook at this document and realize it’s not something you can reasonably achieveor it’s not something you want to tryto achieve (which is totally fair), then the better course of action is to sitdown with your manager and discuss a voluntary resignation. Basically, you’resaying, “This isn’t going to work for me. Let’s talk about how we can part waysamicably.”

3. Create your plan of attack

Presumingyou look at the PIP and believe it contains a fair assessment of your currentperformance and a reasonable expectation for improvement, it’s time to make aplan. Outline, on paper, exactly what you need to do to reach the statedrequirements—take a training class, get a mentor, shadow another employee, etc.Be sure to document your efforts along the way so you can show evidence thatyou’ve been doing everything in your power to be successful.

Ialways recommend creating new processesin order to set yourself up for long-term success. Too often, people makeimprovements during the required window of time stated in the PIP, but thenafterwards, they crash because they haven’t created new routines and newhabits. Managers are always watching for this. The expectation is thatimprovements will be permanent. They aren’t going to allow you to slip backinto old patterns of behavior without consequence.

4. At the same time, prepare for a job search

If youwant to stay in this job at this organization, you need to commit to making therequired improvements. At the same time though, you also need to prepare yourresume and be ready should you find that your performance doesn’t meet the standardsthat have been established. You want to be ready to launch a job search andfind something that’s going to be a better fit for you. Don’t just focus on theimprovement; focus on also being prepared for what may come next—even givenyour best efforts.

Again,don’t beat yourself up! Some roles are just not the right fit for everyone andthat’s perfectly fine. I want you to be realistic with yourself and I also wantyou to be prepared for whatever happens from here.

5. Do everything in your power to prevent it

Finally,I just want to remind you to do everything in your power to prevent getting tothis place. If you start seeing that things just aren’t working and that yourperformance just isn’t living up to your manager’s expectations, have aconversation and get some clarity about what’s needed early on. Don’t wait toget to this point where a PIP is presented to you.

Beproactive and say, “I’m worried that my performance is not up-to-par here. Arethere things I need to work on?” Then, you might be able to control more of theconversation if and when it turns into a more serious situation.

It is my great hope thatyou never find yourself being put on a formal Performance Improvement Plan. Butif it happens, you now know how to handle it in the right way.