Useful files / templates:

Step 1: Log performance of your team members

Identifying areas of poor performance can come from many different areas but as the line manager, it is usually clear who is and who isn’t performing.

As a line manager, I keep a running log of the performance (both positive and negative) of my team members. The notes in the log have more impact if they are specific and I won’t put anything in the log without first discussing it with my the team member it relates to. This forces me to verbally give them the positive or negative feedback. Hiding it and bringing it up during an appraisal feels secretive and breaks the social contract between you and your direct report.

Step 2: Decide whether a PIP is the best next step

Generally speaking if I had to give negative feedback to someone on the same or similar issue 3 times, I would consider kicking off the PIP process.

It wouldn’t be fair or relevant to put someone one a PIP for 1 mistake, this would take up a lot of time and most issues can be dealt with through working together to identify possible root causes and agreeing on a few actions to take next time.

Here are the steps that lead to a PIP, broken down in to occurrences of mistakes / under-performance and what I would do:

1st occurrence: Feedback to the team member, work together to identify possible causes, agree on actions to avoid a repeat of the issue.

2nd occurrence: Feedback to the team member, discuss causes, discuss whether previously agreed actions were implemented, tweak if required.

3rd occurrence: Feedback to team member, discuss causes, book in pre-PIP conversation.

Inform your HR team of the decision to put your direct report on a PIP and forward them the evidence.

Step 3.1: The PIP kick off meeting

The aim of the kick off meeting is to inform your direct report that they are under-performing and that they will be put on a PIP as a structured and supported way for them to improve their performance.

This is probably where the most care should be taken in the entire PIP process. How you act, what you say, your verbal and none-verbal cues can shape how your direct report views the whole PIP process. Done correctly and fairly, and you will have a higher chance of your direct report viewing the process as a positive one. Be clear with them that this isn’t a punishment but a way of agreeing roles, responsibilities and actions for you both to take to support the improvement in their performance.

Remember this is a partnership, they will have to do 90% of the work but you may have to do a few things as well to further help and support them.

When to hold the conversation: Book it late in the first half of someone’s last shift before a break. If someone works Monday to Friday, I might book it for 11am on a Friday morning for example.

The reasons for this are as follows:

1. It gives you plenty of time to discuss the feedback, the ins and outs of the PIP process and take any questions without risking going over someone’s shift.
2. Once the conversation is over, I usually let people take the rest of the day off paid, so they don’t have to feel the pressure of putting on a brave face in front of colleagues should they take the news particularly badly (so far no one has taken the idea of a PIP well, and I cried when I was told I was going to be put on one).
3. It gives them the week end to be away from work, to discuss with their family / friends and to reflect on the conversation

What to bring: Bring the evidence you have gathered in your performance log, a copy of the blank PIP document and 2x copies of the PIP policy of your organisation.

What to discuss: Take your direct report through each piece of evidence and ask them if there is anything else they feel they are struggling with.

Then go through the PIP policy for the organisation to fully explain the process and the expectations. Take any questions that they may have at this stage.

Agree when you will sit down to actually write the PIP (ideally early the following week / shift cycle – say Monday or Tuesday).

Step 3.2: Writing the PIP

The aim of this meeting is to write the initial draft of the PIP document whereby you will discuss specific areas of under-performance, write SMART objectives with clear deliverables and due dates, agree on the PIP timeline (usually 12 weeks minimum) and the action review dates (usually every 4 weeks).

This document should be co-authored, not something that you write and then give to them. Involving them in the process helps with their commitment and engagement with it as they have some control over what they will have to do.

What to discuss: Ask them about their reflections over the week end and to ask any further questions that they have at this stage.

Go back over the feedback you presented in the kick off meeting, and ask if there is anything else they’d like your help and support with.

Filling in the PIP template:

Your organisation may have a PIP template already but most of the organisations I have worked in don’t have one so I have included one at the top of this post.

Go through the PIP template and complete each section. Remember to be as specific as possible and ensure all of the goals are SMART; if you can’t think of a way for the colleague to provide clear evidence of an action being taken, then that action needs to be changed in to a format they can prove.

At the end of this meeting, print out a copy for your direct report to take away with them and agree that you will sit down later that week / shift cycle to go over any further questions, make tweaks as required and for both of you to sign the PIP to kick it off. I would book this meeting in for late on Thursday or Friday.

Send a copy of the draft to your HR department and book in a 1:1 conversation with them before you next meet with your direct report. The role of HR here is to ensure consistency in the process and that your actions and deliverables are fair.

Step 3.3: PIP sign off and commencement

This should be a relatively short meeting where you ask if they have any further questions and if they’d like to make any minor changes to the PIP document at this stage.

All being well, there shouldn’t be much else to discuss and you both sign off the PIP as being live. You take away a signed copy to scan and send to HR and give them a signed copy as well.

Step 4: The PIP reviews

As discussed in the PIP, your direct report has to organise and invite you to the reviews to update you on their progress.

Here you will go through each action and deliverable due for that review number, discuss how they found it, anything they have learnt and whether they need any further support.

Add both your and their comments to the PIP under the relevant summary section of the PIP document.

Step 5: Final review

If they are now meeting expectations: All being well the final review should look a lot like the other reviews and your direct report is now back to performing at an acceptable level.

Congratulate them on their efforts and results.

You must go back through the PIP policy for your organisation and inform them of next steps from here. Usually they will have to sustain this level of performance for at least 12 months or risk going back on to the PIP.

If they have shown improvement but aren’t quite there yet: congratulate them on their effort thus far and explain that you’d like to extend the PIP (by say another 4 weeks).

Agree the new final review date and what you’d like to see by then.

If they haven’t shown much if any effort or improvement: This should be discussed with HR ahead of time and next stages agreed with them. This might mean going through the disciplinary process and restarting the PIP from scratch. Explain the next steps to your direct report.