We all know that the formal language around a PIP is that it is “designed to facilitate a discussion between you and your boss”. Right! Everyone knows it is really a way to get you to self select out before you get fired. Wrong!
If you have a crystal ball and see a performance improvement plan looming in your future do not worry. I’ll say it again. Do not worry. Or at least don’t let the worry drive you to depression and anxiety.
Often a PIP can be the best thing to happen to you. It can open up the lines of communication with your immediate boss. It can direct you to find better ways of getting your work done. It can even, surprisingly, put you in line for a promotion.
In line for a promotion? That’s obviously not going to happen. Maybe, maybe not. Once you become aware of the invisible realm between you and your boss you can learn how to navigate this complex territory and be prepared to have a more open and honest dialogue. First, you need to learn to read the problem area that surfaces right before the PIP becomes a reality.
Here are the signs and then I’ll give you some suggestions on how to handle this tense time. • Trust your gut. There is often a feeling of tightness in the solar plexus area that starts when you wake in the morning and goes with you throughout your workday. This is a body signal that something is up. It is almost always right, like radar of impending danger. • Listen for language clues. You will hear lots of repetitive requests for telling your boss what you are doing and why. This is not a sign of interest; it is a sign of frustration. • Watch for discounting. In a meeting or in the hallway you will find that your boss barely acknowledges you. In a meeting that requires conflict resolution, notice that your boss rarely makes eye contact. • Pay attention to co-workers who become distant. You will observe a move toward superficial chit chat and a tendency to leave you out of conversations about the important aspects of work.
What to do about it. First, rather than think you are paranoid, take the proverbial bull by the horns and go to your boss. You can do this in a positive way by telling him/her that you want to “check out your assumptions”. Say that you are concerned by the sense of discomfort you feel and want to know what concerns s/he is having.
I promise you this is not like putting gasoline on a fire; it is more like dowsing a fire with water. Proactive wins almost every time. Often those in leadership positions will respond to your courageous actions by having an open conversation. This is usually a relief to a leader who, in case you didn’t know this, would usually prefer a root canal to a PIP.
So, don’t let your discomfort fester. Go to your boss and talk. I do believe this will get you on a new path and the PIP will simply become a next level of developmental learning for you rather than a punishment.
I agree that we need to understand the problem area that can surface right before the PIP becomes a reality. I feel an open conversation with the boss will always help to solve many issues.
We should take PIP in a positive way. It’s difficult for most of the people to accept the fact that they will be put in a Performance Improvement Plan. Even I feel we should not worry when we are put into a PIP and PIP can help us to find better ways of getting your work done.
I like your tip of going to the boss and talking because then the person will know what exactly the boss wants. If we are put in a PIP, we should take it as a challenge and then focus on improving our performance. We should also not worry and we should think of PIP as developmental training, as you have mentioned.
It’s normal for a person to feel scared when he or she is put on a PIP. If we are put in a PIP, we should analyze why we are put in a PIP. Talking to boss is a nice suggestion. After we get the right feedback, We should take right steps and try to get out of PIP.
You have given some nice clues on how to recognize if we are being put on a PIP. I like the clues of ‘trusting your gut’ and to ‘watch for discounting’. Thanks for sharing.
Great post. Not a lot of people will understand what all these things mean and if you at least alert some people to how things may change for them before the boss puts them on a plan like this, they can get to work on what they need to improve before they’re even asked.
