A Performance Improvement Plan, PIP, can be beneficial and serve the purpose of  positively impacting  an employee only if there is a communication, collaboration and connection with  the employer, employee and business coach.  However if you are asked as a Business Coach to coach someone regarding a PIP it is critical that you have had previous successes doing so.  This is a highly challenging role to take on as you are dealing with how an individual’s current behavior is creating negative outcome(s) in the workplace, with their team(s), their colleagues and management.  As a business coach it is imperative to use the following steps to have a positive outcome for the employee, employer and yourself.

As in any business coaching contract there is no guarantee to the outcome which you should verbally state this as well in writing this in your contract(s).

Coaching someone on a Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) takes three things: Communication, Collaboration and Connection

Create a Strong Foundation

You must have a strong foundational relationship with the manager who is asking you to take this assignment.  It is imperative that this PIP is not the last step in terminating the employee, rather it is a process to revitalize and re-establish the employee’s confidence and to create clear pathways to have a successful and meaningful experience.  As a Business Coach,  I would not take on this type of assignment if this was a “means to an end” for termination.  Although most PIP’s are thirty (30) days in duration, this is not enough time to have the employee make the changes necessary to impact behaviors necessary to produce the specific measurable results and to be able to have consistency with these behaviors.  I will only take this assignment if it is ninety (90) days in duration. 

Request any assessments that the employee has had and if they have not had an assessment they talk with the supervisor regarding having one completed before the coaching begins.  Having a common ground of the behaviors the employee has versus the ones needed to be successful is critical.

Verbally and in writing I state that this process is not guaranteed and that manager calls will be scheduled throughout the process to insure that the process is working for the employee and the manager and that goals are being met successfully.

Establish a Trusting Relationship

Creating a trusting relationship with the employee is critical for the PIP to have the greatest results.   Given they may have never been through this process, have fears of losing their position, (even though told otherwise) and have probably never had the experience of working with an Business Coach.  Have a conversation with the employee before the initial meeting to introduce yourself.  Share that their manager is providing a process that is given to employees that the company has faith in and wants to support their success.  If possible, have the employee come to your place of business to have the coaching meetings.  If this is not possible see if there is a safe and confidential place to meet at their office site. 

Clarification of the Personal Improvement Plan

At the initial meeting share your experience with the work that you do as a  Business Coach and create a trusting foundation for the relationship. Ask the employee to bring a copy of the PIP as you will be working on this document together.  (Bring a copy of this as well.) Please state that this process is not therapy however it is opportunity to work through business and communication strategies so that they have the most beneficial results. Ask the employee questions:

• Are you clear about why you are on a PIP and the areas that need to be addressed?
• After reviewing the document ask : “Is there anything on the PIP that you are not clear about or have a different view regarding  it? “
• What do you think you will have the greatest difficulty with and why?
• Is it alright with you that we review your assessment(s) together?  (Explain that the assessment(s) can possibly explain behaviors that are driven by a specific situation(s).

Explain that these conversations will be shared with the supervisor in relationship to the objectives.  Some conversations can be considered confidential unless they would be harmful to the business or the individual(s) involved.

You will be meeting either weekly or every other week.  Emails and phone conversations are encouraged and should be part of the process to insure connection and communication.

Working on the Pieces of the Performance Improvement Plan
(PIP)

After the second meeting I give the employee a sheet regarding their Team Dynamics. This process has them look at each team that they manage or interact with. You can find these types of assessment on the internet or you can create a simple one that will reveal how they view each person on the team and how they relate to them, issues in the relationship, and so on. This is also a way to see how they view certain people on their team and other people they interact with on a daily basis.

Assignments from week to week would be for them to write a daily log or journal to write issues and how they dealt with them, people and how they dealt with them, what new thoughts are having them react more productively and what thoughts are still creating problems. The more they see that their thoughts can be used to create a positive or negative reaction the more they will feel that they are accomplishing their goals. The employee needs to acknowledge and be acknowledged that they are changing and making positive steps in this process. Some individuals have come up with mantras: Slow Down, Listen, and Be Quiet.

Acknowledging Improvements and Impact with Real time Results

As the sessions progress to the end of the first month, schedule a three (3) way meeting or call with the supervisor, the employee and yourself.  This call is to establish where we are in the process, have the employee share how they are applying the strategies to their daily work issues and for the supervisor to acknowledge how the employee is improving and where there still needs to be improvements.  Take notes regarding the call in order to address specific concerns at your next session with the employee.  Also schedule a call with the supervisor and you to see if any other information needs to be communicated.  This process of the three (3) way call and the one on one call with the supervisor should be in place for the 2^nd month.  Given that the employee is improving and this is being reported back to you from the manager, the last call with all involved should be an acknowledgement of the employee by the manager, the work that they did to make the improvements which can be acknowledged by the Business Coach and what the employee would like to share regarding their experience and progress.

In conclusion you can see that it takes Communication, Collaboration and Connection throughout this engagement for the process to be successful.