Why Performance Improvement Plans don’t work!

We know there are different metrics in every organization, attrition rates, number of people on notice period, % people on bench, number of people above 100% target achievement. You think there would be a measurement of the number of people on Performance Improvement Plan?

Ever been subjected to PIP or Performance Improvement Plans? I know it is difficult to admit in public,  🙂 but I am sure you can nod in agreement as there is no harm being honest to self while reading in your own little space. I can assure you that in a long career we would face performance dips and you would be subject to PIPs of different kinds, in some organizations they call it PIP and deal with your performance in a structured way or in many they would just subject you to different kinds of pressure situations for you to feel that you are under observation for improving your performance. Whether it is called PIP or not, you would realize over a period of time that even without a PIP tag you are under fire for performance. I read somewhere that a PIP is a great opportunity for struggling employees to succeed while still holding them accountable for past bad performance, nice English huh?  I still think, PIP as a structure may have been constructed with great intention but it seldom delivers the desired success of turning around employee performance. Why do you think PIPs don’t work? Next 3 minutes is my exploration of Performance Improvement Plan.

 

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