A performance improvement plan fails when it becomes a checklist and a threat—because unclear expectations create anxiety, blame-shifting, and zero real change. In this article, Jef Menguin reframes the PIP as a clarity contract and walks leaders through what “fair” looks like: measurable gaps, tight targets, support, rhythm, and a simple scoreboard. Use it and teach it at work so you protect people and results at the same time.
A PIP conversation rarely starts clean.
It usually starts with a manager who’s tired. Deadlines got missed. Clients got annoyed. The team had to pick up the slack. The manager wants relief, fast.
So the manager goes to HR and says, “I think we need to put this person on a PIP.”
HR hears risk. The company needs to protect itself. HR asks, “Do we have documentation?”
And the employee? The employee hears one word: “PIP.” Then the mind goes, “I’m done.” Not because the employee is weak. But because in many workplaces, that’s what a PIP has meant.
That’s why PIP is not just a form.
It’s a moment where trust either breaks… or gets rebuilt.
The misunderstanding: PIP got hijacked
Let’s be honest. The PIP has a reputation.
Employees often see it as a slow exit. Managers sometimes use it as pressure. HR sometimes treats it like a checklist to make sure the company won’t get sued later.
So the plan becomes a paper trail.
The problem is, when a PIP becomes only a paper trail, everyone loses. The employee doesn’t improve because the targets are unclear or impossible. The manager gets frustrated because nothing changes. HR gets stuck being the “bad guy” because they’re enforcing process instead of building trust.
A PIP can be due process and a fair chance. But only if you lead it well.
What a PIP actually is
A Performance Improvement Plan is a time-bound agreement to close specific performance gaps.
Not personality gaps. Not “attitude.” Not “I don’t like your style.”
Performance gaps.
A good PIP describes what’s not working right now, what the job requires, what “good” looks like, and what will happen next. It gives a timeline. It sets checkpoints. It provides support. It makes expectations visible.
In plain terms, a PIP is a clarity contract. It removes guessing. It removes gossip. It removes the feeling of “bigla na lang.”
The line leaders must learn: Growth vs Correction
Here’s a mistake many organizations make: they use one tool for everything.
Someone needs development? “PIP.” Someone needs coaching? “PIP.” Someone made a mistake? “PIP.”
That’s how a learning culture dies. People stop trying. They stop raising risks early. They play safe. They avoid visibility. They do the minimum to survive.
So let’s draw the line clearly.
A PIP is a correction plan. The goal is to meet the role’s minimum standards again.
A Personal Growth Plan (or Performance Growth Plan, for high performers) is a development plan. The goal is to raise capability and expand responsibility.
One plan fixes the gap. The other raises the ceiling.
And yes—your company needs both.
Because not everyone is failing. Some people are simply ready for more.
From “paper trail” to “rescue plan”
When a PIP shows up, leaders often default to one mode: protect the company.
That instinct is not wrong. The company needs fairness and consistency. But when protection becomes the only goal, the PIP turns cold. It becomes a countdown. The employee feels it. The team feels it. And the manager stops coaching because they’ve already decided the ending.
Here’s the shift I want leaders to make:
A PIP is not a punishment. It’s a clarity contract.
A contract does two things at the same time. It protects both sides. It protects the company from unfair claims, and it protects the employee from vague expectations and shifting goalposts. It forces everyone to stop assuming and start defining.
When you run a PIP as a clarity contract, you change the tone of the room.
You stop saying, “Prove you deserve to stay.” You start saying, “Here is what success looks like, and here is how we will measure it.”
That one shift turns fear into focus.
And focus is where improvement becomes possible.
The fair PIP checklist (with detailed examples)
A leader can’t “good intentions” their way through a PIP. You need structure. This is the part people should be able to screenshot and share.
A fair PIP has eight parts.
1) The Gap (facts, not feelings)
Write what happened, with dates and examples.
Example (Gap): “From Dec 2 to Jan 20, three client reports were submitted late: Dec 6 (1 day late), Jan 10 (2 days late), Jan 17 (same day but missing two sections). Two client follow-ups were missed, resulting in one escalation on Jan 18.”
Notice: no labels like “lazy” or “careless.” Just evidence.
2) The Standard (what the role requires)
Define the baseline expectation for the role.
Example (Standard): “Client reports must be submitted every Friday by 5:00 PM with all required sections complete. Client emails must be acknowledged within 24 hours on workdays. Risks that could affect deadlines must be raised within the same day.”
This matters because employees can’t hit a standard that was never clearly stated.
3) The Targets (3–5 measurable outcomes)
Keep it tight. The PIP fails when it becomes a long list of everything you dislike.
Example (Targets for 30 days):
- Submit all weekly client reports on time (Friday, 5:00 PM) for 4 consecutive weeks.
- Maintain report completeness: zero missing required sections for 4 consecutive weeks.
- Respond to client emails within 24 hours on workdays, measured weekly (target: 90%+).
- Raise blockers within 24 hours of discovery, documented in the weekly check-in.
These are measurable. You can track them without arguing.
4) The Support (what the company will do)
A PIP without support is just pressure with paperwork.
Example (Support):
- Provide a report template with a completeness checklist.
- Give access to a previous “gold standard” report sample.
- Weekly 30-minute coaching session on prioritization and client communication.
- Adjust workload: reduce non-client admin tasks by 20% during the PIP period.
- Assign a peer buddy for quality review every Thursday noon (15 minutes).
Support doesn’t mean “make it easy.” It means “make it fair.”
5) The Rhythm (weekly checkpoints + written summaries)
The worst PIP is the one where the employee thinks they’re improving… then gets surprised at the end.
Example (Rhythm):
- Weekly check-in every Monday 10:00 AM
- Midweek pulse every Thursday 3:00 PM (10 minutes)
- After each meeting, manager sends a recap email: what improved, what still needs work, what to focus on next.
This rhythm reduces anxiety and increases ownership.
6) The Timeline (30/60/90 days—based on impact)
Choose a timeline that matches the work.
Example (Timeline):
- 30 days if the role has weekly deliverables and the gaps are execution-based (deadlines, follow-ups).
- 60–90 days if the gap requires deeper skill building (analysis quality, leadership, complex stakeholder work).
A timeline is not a threat. It’s a container for focus.
7) The Scoreboard (simple yes/no tracking)
You want a scoreboard that feels like a game plan, not a courtroom transcript.
Example (Scoreboard):
Week 1
- Reports on time? ✅
- Complete? ✅
- Email response within 24h (90%+)? ❌ (78%)
- Blockers raised within 24h? ✅
Week 2
- Reports on time? ✅
- Complete? ❌ (1 section missing)
- Email response within 24h (90%+)? ✅ (92%)
- Blockers raised within 24h? ✅
This is clean. Everyone sees reality. No drama.
8) The Outcomes (what happens if pass or fail)
Be clear. This is part of being humane. Ambiguity is cruel.
Example (Outcomes):
- Pass: Employee exits PIP and returns to normal performance monitoring.
- Partial pass: Extend PIP for 30 days with narrowed targets.
- Fail: Move to next steps per policy (role change, reassignment, or termination).
When you state outcomes early, you remove the “mystery punishment” feeling.
A complete mini PIP example (put it all together)
Role: Client Success Specialist
PIP Duration: 30 days
Primary Issue: Timeliness and completeness of client deliverables
Gap: “3 late reports between Dec 2 and Jan 20; 1 escalation due to missed follow-up; 2 incomplete reports submitted.”
Standard: “Weekly reports due Friday 5 PM, complete. Client emails acknowledged within 24 hours. Risks raised same day.”
Targets (30 days):
- On-time weekly reports: 4/4 weeks
- Complete reports: 4/4 weeks
- Client email response within 24 hours: 90%+ weekly
- Blockers raised within 24 hours: 100%
Support: Template + checklist, sample report, weekly coaching, workload adjustment, peer review Thursday noon.
Rhythm: Mon 10 AM check-in + Thu 3 PM pulse + written recap after meetings.
Scoreboard: Weekly yes/no tracking + percentages for email response.
Outcomes: Pass = exit PIP. Fail = next steps per policy.
This is what “fair” looks like. It’s direct, measurable, and still human.
How leaders mess up a PIP (and how to fix it)
The most common PIP mistake is this: leaders write what they feel, not what they see.
They write, “Lacks initiative.” They write, “Poor attitude.” They write, “Not proactive.”
Those words sound smart. But they are useless in real life. The employee can’t “do” those words. So they guess. And when people guess under pressure, they panic or they freeze.
Fix it by turning labels into actions.
Instead of “Be proactive,” say, “Raise risks within 24 hours.”
Instead of “Improve communication,” say, “Send a 5 PM daily update.”
Instead of “Be more accountable,” say, “Submit the draft by Wednesday 12 PM every week.”
If you can’t measure it, you can’t coach it.
Another mistake is moving the goalpost.
Week 1: “Just meet deadlines.” Week 2: “Also fix quality.” Week 3: “Also lead meetings better.” Week 4: “Also be more confident.”
That’s not a plan. That’s a trap.
Fix it by keeping the PIP tight. Three to five targets only. If you add new targets mid-way, you’re telling the employee, “Even if you improve, I will still find a reason.” And once people believe that, they stop trying.
The third mistake is a silent manager.
They place the person on a PIP, then they get busy. Check-ins get cancelled. Feedback comes late. The employee works in the dark. Then the manager shows up at the end with a verdict.
That’s not leadership. That’s neglect with paperwork.
Fix it with rhythm. Weekly check-ins. Written recaps. Clear next steps. If you can’t commit to coaching time, don’t pretend the plan is about improvement.
And here’s a hard one: some leaders keep the same workload and still expect improvement.
Imagine telling someone, “Stop drowning,” while you keep pushing their head under water.
If the issue is time and execution, you must adjust priorities. Remove something. Delay something. Simplify something. Otherwise, your PIP is not “fair.” It’s “perform miracles.”
How employees should respond (without getting defensive)
If you’re the employee receiving a PIP, you’ll feel two things at once: fear and shame.
That’s normal.
But you can’t live there. You need to move into action fast.
Start with one move: ask for the Pass List.
Not “How do I improve?” But: “What exact results mean I pass this plan?”
You want clear targets written down. If they say, “Just do better,” that’s a red flag. If they say, “Here are the four things we will measure,” that’s a real plan.
Next, turn every vague phrase into a number.
If they say “communicate better,” ask: “Do you mean daily updates? Response time? Meeting notes?” If they say “be proactive,” ask: “Do you mean raising blockers within 24 hours?” Don’t argue. Don’t defend. Just clarify.
Then do one habit that protects you and helps you win: document your progress.
After every check-in, send a short recap email:
“This week I submitted the report on time. I responded within 24 hours to 92% of emails. I missed one follow-up on Tuesday and I fixed it within the day. Next week I will use the checklist before submitting.”
Keep it short. Keep it factual. This is not about being “political.” This is about being clear.
Finally, use support aggressively.
If they offer coaching, show up prepared. If they offer templates, use them. If they assign a buddy, ask for quick feedback early, not at the last minute.
PIP time is not the time to be shy. It’s the time to be sharp.
HR’s role: referee, not villain
People love to blame HR. Sometimes HR earns it. But most of the time, HR is doing one job: make the process consistent and defensible.
HR asks for documentation because companies get sued. HR asks for timelines because leaders forget details. HR asks for standards because managers can be unfair without noticing.
So yes, HR protects the company.
But here’s the better standard.
The best HR teams protect the company by protecting the integrity of people.
They push managers to be specific. They stop vague “attitude” PIPs. They require support. They insist on checkpoints. They make sure the employee understands what “pass” means.
That’s not being soft.
That’s being fair.
And fairness is what keeps culture strong.
PIP is a leadership test
A PIP is not just about the employee.
It’s a test of the leader.
When a person struggles, leaders get tempted to do the easy thing: label the person, protect themselves, and rush to an ending. But a well-run PIP asks leaders to do the harder thing: slow down, get clear, and coach like it matters.
That’s why a PIP reveals what kind of culture you really have.
In a weak culture, a PIP is a threat. People go quiet. They stop taking risks. They hide mistakes. They protect themselves instead of improving.
In a healthy culture, a PIP is a line in the sand—with a hand reaching out. Expectations are clear. Support is real. Progress is tracked. The employee knows exactly what to do next, and the leader shows up every week to help make it happen.
So here’s the shift I want you to carry after reading this.
A PIP should never feel like a secret countdown. It should feel like a clear scoreboard.
If you’re a leader, do one thing in the next 24 hours.
Create a one-page PIP template your team will use every time. Put the eight parts on one page. Add a simple weekly scoreboard. Then add one sentence at the top that forces the right intent:
“This plan is designed to give a fair chance to recover performance.”
That sentence won’t save every situation.
But it will save your leaders from laziness. And it will save your employees from guessing.
And when you remove guessing, you give people something rare at work:
A real chance to improve.
Next, I’ll introduce the other plan—the one your best people deserve: the Personal Growth Plan (or Performance Growth Plan). Because not everyone needs to fix a gap. Some people are ready to raise the ceiling.
