3 ms·

Well yeah, but that's a sign of both parties not actually being committed. There's a lot of assuming in that scenario. A lot of that uncertainty would disappear

Well yeah, but that's a sign of both parties not actually being committed. There's a lot of assuming in that scenario. A lot of that uncertainty would disappear with some candid communication. "Maria, what you're doing today is X, Y, Z. We wanted that before, but going forward, we need A, B, C. My impression is that you like doing X, Y, Z. So, we've got two choices, and both of them are difficult, but we need to be upfront about this. We can part ways, and I can try to help you get to a place where you can do X, Y, Z. Or we can commit to work together to transition you to A, B, C. I believe you can do it. The question is what do you want. It's tough, but you have to choose." And my advice to Maria would be: - Make sure you know what your bosses actually want. - Decide whether that's something you're into. - Be sure of their commitment to actually develop you. If she could answer all three of these things affirmatively, it could be worth a try. My only point is that it's wrong to say definitely that a PIP is a death sentence. It's more like a cry for help.

BeetleB 9y ago
What you said is almost the same as what the HR person told her manager. Have the conversation, and if it's clear she no longer fits the role, let her go with a good package. Why make everyone unhappy with a PIP? >My only point is that it's wrong to say definitely that a PIP is a death sentence. It's more like a cry for help. Not completely disagreeing with you there. I don't believe in either extreme. I do not think most managers are doing it as a cry for help. I also do not think every manager is doing it to fire someone. Just pointing out that it very often (if not the majority of times) is the case in some companies. To an extent, this is the prisoner's dilemma. The PIP is used for both purposes, but it's safer for the employee to assume the worst. If the PIP was never a path to termination, then employees would be more receptive to it.
- acjohnson55 9y ago
  It's different, because the HR manager closed the door by preemptively assuming Maria wasn't up for it. My point is that if the manager and the employee both fully buy in to the possibility of a productive future, that's a necessary (but certainly not sufficient) condition for success. In that case, some type of explicitly shared strategy for getting there is crucial. But yeah, if you, as the manager, have decided it's a lost cause, it's best to just go ahead and initiate the separation. In that case, I agree with the HR guy. And I certainly agree with you that in many instances, the PIP is a reflexive CYA move from management or HR.

BeetleB 9y ago

What you said is almost the same as what the HR person told her manager. Have the conversation, and if it's clear she no longer fits the role, let her go with a good package. Why make everyone unhappy with a PIP? >My only point is that it's wrong to say definitely that a PIP is a death sentence. It's more like a cry for help. Not completely disagreeing with you there. I don't believe in either extreme. I do not think most managers are doing it as a cry for help. I also do not think every manager is doing it to fire someone. Just pointing out that it very often (if not the majority of times) is the case in some companies. To an extent, this is the prisoner's dilemma. The PIP is used for both purposes, but it's safer for the employee to assume the worst. If the PIP was never a path to termination, then employees would be more receptive to it.

acjohnson55 9y ago
It's different, because the HR manager closed the door by preemptively assuming Maria wasn't up for it. My point is that if the manager and the employee both fully buy in to the possibility of a productive future, that's a necessary (but certainly not sufficient) condition for success. In that case, some type of explicitly shared strategy for getting there is crucial. But yeah, if you, as the manager, have decided it's a lost cause, it's best to just go ahead and initiate the separation. In that case, I agree with the HR guy. And I certainly agree with you that in many instances, the PIP is a reflexive CYA move from management or HR.