Most managers dread a performance improvement plan. It feels like paperwork that precedes an exit, a formality nobody believes in, a process HR made you do. That dread makes them rush it, skip steps, or avoid it entirely, which is exactly how a PIP becomes the thing everyone fears it is. Done well, a performance improvement plan is the most structured, fair thing you can do when someone is not meeting expectations. It gives them a genuine opportunity, a clear roadmap, and the support to use it. If it does not work out, it creates a record of good faith effort on both sides.
A PIP is not a warning dressed up in paperwork. It is the last proper investment you make before you accept that things will not change. Run it like one.
What a performance improvement plan should contain
Before you open a document, be clear that you have already had the informal conversations. A PIP is not the first time someone hears there is a problem. If it is, you have skipped the most important step. Read the guide on handling underperformance first. The PIP comes after you have been specific about expectations, given time to improve, and seen that the informal approach has not worked.
When you are ready to formalise, the plan needs four things to be credible: specific goals, a realistic timeframe, agreed support, and a clear check-in cadence. Vague goals make a PIP impossible to assess fairly. "Improve your communication" means nothing. "Present the weekly status update without prompting, by Thursday, for four consecutive weeks" means something.
A well-structured PIP
Involve HR from the start. They will know what is legally required in your organisation, how long the plan should run, and what the documentation needs to look like. This is not a box-ticking exercise - their input protects you, the person on the plan, and the business. Get them involved before you write a single word of the document.
How to run the weekly check-ins
The check-in is where a PIP lives or dies. Many managers hold the kickoff meeting, hand over the document, and then let weeks pass without structured follow-up. By the time the review date arrives, they have no record of what happened, the person feels abandoned, and nothing has changed. The check-in is your mechanism for support, accountability, and documentation - all at once.
Run weekly catch-ups as dedicated, structured conversations. Use your Catchups to track each session and connect any follow-up Actions directly to the conversation, so nothing slips between meetings. After each check-in, write a brief summary of what was discussed, what progress has been made against each goal, and what support was agreed for the coming week. Send it to the person the same day.
Weekly PIP Check-in
Week 3 of 8Review each goal
On track / at risk / missed - and why
Celebrate progress
Specific examples only, not vague encouragement
Address blockers
What is getting in the way? What support do you need?
Agree next actions
Concrete commitments before the next check-in
Write it up
Send summary the same day - no exceptions
Adjust the support as you go. If someone is struggling with the goals because they lack a skill, add coaching. If they are struggling because of workload, look at what can be temporarily reduced. A PIP is not a fixed penalty, it is an active plan. Adjusting support in response to what you learn in check-ins is how you demonstrate genuine good faith.
Give specific, honest feedback at every session. Vague positive feedback when things are not improving is a disservice to the person. Equally, piling on criticism without acknowledgement of progress makes it impossible to feel any sense of forward movement. The guide on giving constructive feedback is useful here. Be clear, be kind, and be honest.
Reaching an outcome
At the end of the PIP period, there are three possible outcomes. Each one requires a different conversation. Knowing in advance how you will handle each outcome means you will not be caught improvising when the moment comes.
Goals met
The plan worked. Acknowledge it clearly and sincerely. Agree how you will monitor performance going forward without making the person feel like they are permanently on probation.
Partial progress
Some goals met, others not. Decide - with HR - whether a short extension is warranted or whether the unmet goals constitute a failure of the plan. Do not extend indefinitely.
Goals not met
The plan did not succeed. This typically leads to a further formal process - often a final warning or the start of a dismissal procedure. Follow your HR team's guidance exactly.
The outcome conversation itself should not be a surprise. If you have run honest weekly check-ins, both of you will have a clear sense of how things are tracking. Nobody should leave the final review meeting shocked by the outcome. That is only possible if the check-ins have been honest, not reassuring.
- Be directState the outcome clearly and early in the meeting. Do not soften the opening so much that the person cannot tell what is being said. One clear sentence, then the detail.
- Reference the evidenceRefer back to the written check-in summaries. This is why you documented everything. The record shows what was agreed, what support was provided, and what progress was made.
- Explain next stepsWhatever the outcome, tell the person what happens next before you end the meeting. Uncertainty after an already difficult conversation is avoidable. Have the answer ready.
- Give them time to respondAllow them to respond. They may disagree. They may be upset. That is understandable. Listen properly. You do not need to change the outcome, but they deserve to be heard.
Common mistakes that undermine a PIP
Even well-intentioned managers make the same mistakes when running a performance improvement plan. Most of them come from discomfort with the process, not bad intentions. Knowing the traps in advance is half the battle.
Vague goals
Every goal should have a specific, observable outcome that both of you can assess independently.
Skipping check-ins
Every missed check-in is a missed opportunity to support and a gap in your documentation.
Reassuring when things are off track
If progress is not there, say so clearly. False hope is unkind and makes the final conversation harder.
Extending indefinitely
If the plan is not working after a fair run, extending it rarely changes the outcome. Make the call.
Going it alone
HR should be involved from day one. Their guidance protects everyone in the process.
No written record
A verbal-only process has no evidence. Write up every check-in and send it the same day.
The most important thing to remember is that a PIP is not a comfortable process for anyone. The manager is uncomfortable. The person on the plan is anxious. That discomfort is not a sign that something is going wrong. It is the nature of the situation. Do not mistake discomfort for cruelty. Running the process properly, with honesty and care, is the most humane thing you can do. Explore the guide on how to have difficult conversations to build the communication skills the process requires.
Frequently asked questions
Track every PIP check-in in one place
Log catch-ups, assign actions, and keep a clear record throughout the process.