Should I Pack up my Stuff after Getting a Performance Improvement Plan?
posted:4 years agobyMarry JoJoin Work Life
As soon as you get a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in your hand, then it's the time your stress level boosts up at work. Tons of questions come into your mind. Logically, the first one is, should I pack my stuff? Is my time in the company over?
If that's what you are wondering about, then it's time to get an answer. A simple response to your first question is, "No, you shouldn't pack your stuff." Now let's get some detailed information PIP.
What is a Performance Improvement Plan?
It is an official document given by the HR department to an employee. This document highlights all the performance deficiencies of an employee alongside an action plan that can help an employee achieve the company's goal. Another name of this document is the Performance Action Plan.
Usually, this document is issued when:
- An employee failed to meet job-specific goals; or
- There are some behavior-related concerns like bullying, workplace harassment, politics, etc.
This document clearly states an issue or issues the company has regarding the employee's performance. It provides information on some training or necessary steps required to bring improvement in the performance. In the end, this document also offers an insight into what will happen if an employee fails to comply. In other words, repercussions like termination, transfer, or demotion will also be made very clear.
What to Do About the Performance Improvement Plan?
Okay, you got this document, and your manager has explained it all to you. Now what? The first thing you need to do is to take control of your anxiety level. It is a natural outcome that you will feel stressed or overburdened or even lost. Calm down.
There are two ways of dealing with PIP:
- Bring improvement in your performance and behavior
- Search for another job.
How to Successfully Complete your Performance Improvement Plan?
Now I'm going to explain the first method.
Be More Efficient
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You need to be more efficient, follow all the action plans mentioned in the document. An easy way to move out of the red zone in any company is to make changes.
Stay Confident
An unfavorable outcome of a Performance improvement plan is that an employee starts judging about his ability. It is what you need to avoid. Know how to increase self-esteem in the workplace. If you start wondering about your expertise, then you won't be able to generate the best results.
Therefore, try to keep your head high while dealing with this challenging phase in the workplace. Don't criticize yourself. However, try to know your performance gap and then fill it through training, knowledge, and experience.
Communicate More Often
Sometimes, an employee is unable to perform according to the company's standards because he doesn't communicate well. You need to understand how important it is to communicate with your manager, Boss, and colleagues. Learn some best ways to communicate effectively at work.
Once you get a task, try to understand what is expected from you. To get some clear ideas, go to the HR manager or your Boss, and ask for some tips, which let you do better. You want to complete your Performance Improvement plan successfully, and it will be possible when you sit and talk about the best action plans.
Your company must have an employee of the year or some shining stars at the workplace. It's time to approach them and get their recommendation. Know their secret sauce of success, use it for your job, and excel in your career.
My Performance Improvement Plan Means my Boss Wants to Terminate me.
If you are confident that you are doing an excellent job, but this PIP is a biased approach, when you know this deep down, then there is no need to stay in the job. If this document is issued on purpose to get rid of you, despite your excellent performance and behavior, then the second way to deal with it is to search for a new job.
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Will my Boss Use PIP Against me in the Future?
When you successfully complete your Performance Improvement Plan, then another concern that keeps tapping on your mind is whether my Boss will use this document against me. Well, it's nothing but the overthinking situation that you should avoid.
Know Your Rights in Case of Termination Without a Cause
In typical cases, the purpose of the Performance Improvement Plan is to give employees a chance to make some changes in their performance and behavior. If a company wants to terminate you, then it can do that after one or two warnings. They won't hand you a full-fledged plan that lets you do better at your job.
So, once you are done with PIP, you shouldn't wonder a lot about it. Just stick to your good performance track, and this PIP will be lost in that track after some years.