How to Respond When You’re Put on a Performance Improvement Plan

It’s the conversation that no one wants to have at work.

It’s the conversation that no one wants to have at work. Not you. Not your boss. Not even Human Resources.

It’s the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan or ‘PIP.’

A PIP is different from a Written Warning in that it isn’t about addressing an isolated incident. A Written Warning is for infractions like showing up 2 hours late or unknowingly violating a policy.

This is unacceptable. Don’t let it happen again. Move on.

Sure, it doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside but mistakes happen, and you can avoid repeating this one fairly easily.

A PIP, on the other hand, feels more personal. It addresses a pattern of behaviors or shortcomings that cut to the core of your professional identity.

You’re not meeting expectations as a [insert job title].

We need to see immediate, consistent, and sustained improvement to avoid further disciplinary action.

Ouch. Now that hurts. But, feedback is a gift, right?

After all, if you aren’t meeting your boss’ expectations, wouldn’t you rather know now and be given a chance to improve?

I have sat through my fair share of PIP conversations over the course of my HR career, and have seen employees receive and respond to this kind of feedback in dozens of ways.

There are definite differences in the responses of those to go on to successfully turn things around and those who don’t.

So, if you find yourself being put on a PIP, here are some productive (and some not so productive) ways to respond.

The Productive Response

• Be a sponge: Being told that you’re not doing a good enough job is likely to elicit an emotional response, and it’s hard for us to think clearly when we’re flooded with emotions. Instead of trying to respond, focus on soaking in the feedback, and seeking to understand the crux of the issue.
• Take time to reflect: Ask to take the evening to review the PIP and have a follow-up discussion tomorrow. This will give you time to calm down, read through the examples your boss outlined, and reflect on what you might need to ask for support, training, or clarification on.
• Demonstrate self-awareness: If you agree with any of the concerns your boss outlined in the PIP, say so. Doing this demonstrates self-awareness which will make your boss more invested in helping you be successful.
• Advocate for yourself: If, after you have reviewed the plan, you are still unclear on what needs to change, it is your responsibility to advocate for the information you need to be successful. If you don’t understand something, talk it over with your boss until you have a clear idea of what you need to do differently.
• Ask questions: Asking questions can help you understand what ‘meeting expectations’ looks like if you’re still not quite sure. Questions like, “What was missing from this piece of work?” or “What do you think I should have done differently in this situation?” will allow your boss to paint a picture of what ‘good’ looks like in the context of your job.
• Overcommunicate: Most PIPs are written as 60 to 90-day plans that list specific milestones you need to hit along the way. But don’t wait for your boss to ask for an update. The best employees proactively check-in to report progress without being asked.
• Say ‘thank you’: Feedback is a gift, remember? Trust me, there are thousands of managers who blindside their employees with termination without ever giving them feedback. If your boss is generous enough to give you a chance to improve, genuinely thank them for the opportunity to do so.

The Unproductive Response

• “But what about that one time…?”: Avoid the temptation to chronicle every single time you did or didn’t do something. Meeting some of the expectations of the job some of the time is not enough.
• Get caught up in the details: Focus on the big picture. Your boss is telling you that you aren’t meeting the expectations of the job in its entirety. Your energy is better spent trying to improve holistically than it is disputing the small stuff.
• Attack your boss’ motives: No manager I have ever worked with enjoys the process of putting an employee on a PIP — it’s a lot of work and is generally an unpleasant experience. They’re not doing it for fun or to ‘get back at you’ for something. Assume good intentions.
• Make excuses: Acknowledge any mistakes and take accountability for your performance. Doing so will garner respect and credibility while making excuses will erode it.

Whether we like it or not, we are all beholden to our manager’s assessment of our performance and our potential. They write our reviews, decide whether to recommend us for promotions and have the power to terminate our employment.

If you enjoy your job and the company you work for, your best bet is to internalize the feedback, maintain a positive can-do attitude, and do everything you can to rise to the occasion.

At the same time, remember that your boss’s opinion is just one in a world of many. There may be times when, despite your best efforts, your best is just not enough to change your boss’s opinion of your fit for the job.

And guess what? That’s okay. Really, it is. It doesn’t make you a ‘bad’ person.

There are plenty of jobs with different bosses at other companies. Good people always land on their feet. You will, too.

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