As distressing as it can be to be placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP), it is possible to see the process as an opportunity to make important changes.
“I’ve walked alongside professionals in this exact moment. This silent blend of fear and determination surfaces when your performance is under the microscope,” says executive coach Anja van Beek. She advises:
- Acknowledge your feelings — from anger and shock to embarrassment and relief — and then choose how to respond;
- As personal as this feels, you are not your job; the PIP is a road map of how to change behaviour;
- Make a list of what you love about your job and your strengths and compare it to the PIP to make sure the goals are realistic;
- Before your first PIP check-in tell your manager how you plan to make the process work;
- Share your plan with someone supportive — a peer, HR representative or mentor; and
- The PIP may allow you to thrive or it may show you are in the wrong job — be honest about which one it is
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