If an employee is shocked to be put on a PIP, then something's going wrong during communication. Feedback should be a continuous process so people, managers and

If an employee is shocked to be put on a PIP, then something's going wrong during communication. Feedback should be a continuous process so people, managers and employee both, can make small adjustments to ensure they're in the right spot. This obviously needs trust and goodwill from both sides. For example, my annual reviews aren't so much about setting and discussing goals as it is about how the year actually went, both from a professional and personal standpoint. We talk about projects we finished or didn't, how the company and team is doing overall, and big strategic decisions made by execs that we don't really have control over but impact us in one way or another. Goals are generally set pretty frequently and are achievable. I have 1on1 with my leads every 2 weeks and we exchange pretty blunt but constructive feedback on how we are doing.