That PIP Doesn't Have to Be a Death Sentence
Reframing Performance Improvement Plans as Clarity Tools
Welcome to The Evolving Leader's Guide. Each week, I share one mindset, framework, or toolkit designed to help you become a more effective leader—so you can lead with confidence, inspire your team, and build a career you're proud of.
[Note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series on Performance Improvement Plans. This week focuses on the mindset shifts needed for effective PIPs. Next week will provide the tactical framework for creating and delivering PIPs that work.]
This week's tool: The Reframed PIP
So your team member isn't performing. You've had the conversations. You've given the feedback. And now it's time for those three dreaded letters: PIP.
Performance Improvement Plan.
For most people, those words land like a death sentence. For managers, it feels like the corporate equivalent of breaking up with someone—uncomfortable, painful, and generally avoided until absolutely necessary.
The reality is that PIPs can be valuable tools in your leadership toolkit when implemented correctly. They provide structure, clarity, and support that can transform a struggling employee's experience.
I've seen PIPs go both ways. When done poorly, they create anxiety and resentment. When implemented thoughtfully, they provide the clarity that both managers and employees desperately need. The problem isn't with the tool itself—it's with how we use it.
The Emotional Weight of a PIP
Let's be honest about what happens when most people hear "PIP."
Their stomach drops. Their mind races. They immediately update their resume.
In most company cultures, a PIP feels like the corporate version of being sent to the principal's office—everyone knows what it means, and it's never good news.
There is a real stigma around PIPs. According to research by Mark Shaw, approximately 80% of Performance Improvement Plans fail to achieve any improvement in performance.
Most PIPs fail—but they don't have to. When structured properly, SHRM data shows 75% of employees significantly improve. Unfortunately, most leaders don't use PIPs correctly.
That emotional weight isn't just felt by the employee. Managers often avoid performance conversations because they dread the discomfort, which only makes the situation worse.
I've watched talented people crash and burn after receiving PIPs because the stigma was so overwhelming they couldn't focus on improvement. They were too busy job hunting from the moment they left the meeting.
What a PIP Is Not
Before we talk about what a good PIP can be, let's clear away some misconceptions.
A PIP is not a punishment. When treated like one, it becomes self-fulfilling—creating anxiety and defensiveness rather than clarity and growth. Many managers unconsciously frame PIPs as penalties for poor performance, using language like "you've been put on a PIP" as if it were a sentence being handed down.
A PIP is not a one-size-fits-all template. Too many managers grab the standard HR form and just fill in the blanks. That's documentation, not development. I've seen leaders spend 30 minutes completing a PIP form but zero time thinking about the individual employee's specific challenges, strengths, and potential barriers to success.
A PIP is not just an HR checkbox on the way to termination. Using it that way destroys trust and wastes an opportunity for meaningful intervention. When employees sense that a PIP is merely procedural—a box to check before firing them—they disengage immediately.
A PIP is not meant to make someone feel bad about themselves. The goal isn't shame—it's clarity. I've heard managers describe PIPs as "wake-up calls" or ways to "light a fire" under someone. This punitive mindset ensures the process will be adversarial rather than collaborative.
A PIP is not just for "problem employees." Even high performers can benefit from the clarity and structure of improvement plans when they're taking on new responsibilities or transitioning to new roles. Limiting PIPs to only your struggling team members reinforces their stigma.
A PIP is not a sign of failure—for either the employee or the manager. It's a recognition that there's a gap between current performance and expectations that needs structured attention. The real failure would be allowing that gap to continue without addressing it directly.
What a PIP Can Be
When approached with the right mindset, PIPs can be transformative tools for both employees and managers.
A PIP is a structured support plan. Think of it as scaffolding—something that provides structure while building something better. A good PIP outlines not just what needs to improve, but exactly what resources and support will be provided to enable that improvement.
A PIP is a mirror that clarifies expectations and performance gaps. Sometimes people genuinely don't see the gap between what they're delivering and what's expected. A thoughtful PIP makes implicit expectations explicit, eliminating the "I didn't realize that was important" factor.
A PIP is a turning point for clarity, growth, or even closure. The best PIPs create a fork in the road: either growth in the current role or clarity that it's time to find a better fit. Either outcome is valuable when handled with respect and transparency.
A PIP is a catalyst for your growth as a leader. Creating an effective PIP forces you to articulate exactly what good performance looks like—something many leaders struggle to define clearly. The process often reveals gaps in your own communication, onboarding, or management practices.
A PIP is a powerful alignment tool. When done well, PIPs ensure that you, your team member, and your organization all share the same understanding of what success looks like in a role. This alignment is valuable far beyond the immediate performance concern.
A PIP is a dignified alternative to the surprise firing. There's nothing more demoralizing than being blindsided by termination. A properly implemented PIP ensures that, even if separation becomes necessary, the employee has had full visibility into the concerns and a genuine opportunity to address them.
A PIP is a investment in psychological safety. Counter-intuitively, teams where PIPs are handled well often have higher psychological safety. Why? Because performance issues are addressed directly rather than through gossip or avoidance, and everyone knows exactly where they stand.
In my experience, PIPs work best when they function as clarity tools rather than punishment devices. I've seen struggling employees turn things around completely once they understood exactly what was expected of them. Sometimes the issue wasn't performance but misaligned expectations.
The Leader's Responsibility Before a PIP
If you're reaching for a PIP, first ask yourself these questions:
What conversations should have already happened? A PIP should never be the first time someone hears they're underperforming.
Has your feedback been clear, early, and actionable? Vague comments like "you need to step it up" aren't feedback—they're frustration masquerading as guidance.
Have you offered coaching, mentorship, or training to set them up for success? Support should precede consequences, not follow them.
How might you have contributed to this performance gap? Unclear expectations, shifting priorities, poor onboarding—own your part in the situation.
I've coached dozens of managers through this process, and the pattern is consistent: we wait too long to address performance issues, then rush to implement a PIP without having had the necessary preliminary conversations. This approach undermines trust and diminishes the chance of success.
The hardest truth to accept as a leader: performance problems are rarely one-sided. Great leaders examine their role before assigning blame.
The Leader's Mindset During a PIP
Your approach to the PIP process will determine its success more than any template or timeline. Three critical mindset elements make all the difference:
Root for their success. This seems obvious, but be honest with yourself—are you secretly waiting for them to fail so you can move on? Your mindset will leak into every interaction. Employees can sense when you've already written them off.
Stay fully engaged. It's easier to emotionally distance when you think someone might leave, but that distance ensures they will. Continue normal interactions, maintain team inclusion, and demonstrate ongoing investment in their success.
Lead with curiosity, not judgment. Replace "Why can't they just do what I asked?" with "What barriers might I not be seeing?" Curiosity opens doors that judgment slams shut.
The best approach combines high standards with high support. You're not lowering the bar—you’re helping them clear it. This means being just as invested one the last day of the PIP as you were on day one.
The Reset Button Opportunity
PIPs at their best are clarity engines—giving both parties the insight they need, fast.
For the employee: This is exactly what's expected, what's at stake, and what support is available.
For the manager: These are the specific behaviors and outcomes I need to see, and here's how I'll help get there.
The clearest PIPs create a fork in the road: either growth in the current role or clarity that it's time to find a better fit.
That kind of clarity is valuable regardless of the outcome.
Even if the employee ultimately leaves, a properly executed PIP provides closure and learning for everyone involved. No wondering what went wrong or if they could have succeeded with more support. This mutual understanding allowed for a dignified transition rather than a frustrated firing.
This is why I see PIPs as reset buttons rather than exit plans. They reset expectations, communication patterns, and sometimes even career paths. Whether someone stays or goes, everyone gains valuable insights from the process.
Coach's Challenge:
This week, take these steps to transform how you think about performance improvement:
Audit your last PIP experience (or a serious performance conversation). Were you truly rooting for their success or just documenting for termination?
Define success clearly for each of your direct reports. Could they repeat back to you exactly what great performance looks like in their role?
Have the conversation you've been avoiding. Not the PIP—the honest feedback that might prevent needing one.
Create a "PIP principles" document for yourself—the standards you'll hold yourself to when performance issues arise.
Don't just measure PIP success by whether employees stay or go. Track how many PIPs result in genuine performance improvements, how team morale is affected by your approach to performance challenges, and how much clarity exists between you and your team about expectations. The true measure of PIP effectiveness is whether they strengthen your team culture rather than damage it.
Remember: A PIP isn't just about whether someone stays or goes. It's about whether you're the kind of leader who develops people or just manages transactions.
The real measure of your leadership isn't how many high performers you attract—it's how many you create.