Why PIPs Fail (And What to Do Instead)

Let’s just say it: Most performance improvement plans are hot garbage.

Not because you suck, but because the system does.

They’re written by managers who are Googling their way through it knowing they are supposed to be covering the company’s ass, and they end up sounding more like a breakup letter than a coaching plan.

They’re designed to check boxes, not change behavior.

It’s no wonder they fail.

Here’s what usually happens:

Someone’s not performing…

You’ve coached a little, hinted a lot, and now your boss (or your gut) says, “It’s time for a PIP.”

Great, here we go <insert eyeroll… and your favorite expletive>

So you Google and pull up the company “template”.

You tweak a few lines, slap some goals on it, and send it off with a hopeful heart and a pit in your stomach.

And then:

• The goals are vague as hell

• The manager avoids follow-up OR forgets to document it

• The employee gets defensive - or shuts down

• Nobody tracks anything

• And 30 days later, you’re more frustrated and burnt out; the employee is frustrated, freaked out, and looking for a new job.

Why PIPs Fail

They’re too late

• By the time you pull out the paperwork, the damage is already done. You’re throwing structure at a fire that’s halfway through the building.

Nobody actually talks

• Let’s be real: most managers don’t know (or want ) to have tough conversations. So they dance around the issue and hope the form will do the hard part. It won’t.

They’re HR wallpaper

• They look official and sound “procedural” (which we all know sucks). But they don’t actually build accountability - they just document disappointment.

So what do you do instead?

You talk.

You get clear.

You listen and show empathy.

THEN, you create a plan that someone can actually follow, not one that’s designed to cover your ass.

Most performance issues don’t get fixed with a document, they get fixed through a real conversation.

The structure is important. But the magic is in COMMUNICATION.

That’s why I built the Performance Toolkit

It’s not about HR “best practices”

It’s about leading with clarity and empathy - not feeling like a corporate robot.

You can check them out here.