Alli Peck (YouTube) explains that being placed on a PIP (Performance Improvement Program) is often a polite signal that your employer wants you to leave. She defines a PIP with a party-host metaphor, notes others sometimes recover from PIPs but are exceptions, and gives direct advice: acknowledge the PIP professionally but begin an immediate job search to preserve your dignity.
Oh, your manager put you on a pip, and you're not sure what to do. A pip, also called Performance Improvement Program, is a nice invitation for you to leave. Imagine you're at a party and the host wants you to get the hell out of their house. They'll start doing the dishes or they'll start sweeping. It's a polite invitation for you to go, that's a pip. When I've made videos like this about pips before, lots of people comment, saying, well, I've made it back from a pip, and I'm still working at the company. You're the exception, not the rule. If your manager puts you on a pip, just say, thanks so much, I'll work on it. And then your job search starts today. You hear me? You need to leave that company with your dignity still intact.
Change Your Career Without Leaving Your Job: Podcast Episode with Darcy Eikenberg
