Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

Hello there,

From someone who has gone through PIP herself, I know this time can bring feelings of defeat, fear and shame. I find it sad that people in PIP are often than not almost like a taboo- not wanting to reveal they are struggling.

I will say- however cheesy it sounds- PIP is what you make of it. I personally approached it as a challenge:

1. I tried to find out very tangible gaps in my performance and we set clear and achievable goals with my advisor

2. I was put on a case/project where I received a lot of support and with a manager who was a friend and believed in me overcoming the challenge

3. We regularly (every month) had a discussion about those goals, and evaluated which gaps are closed and which are open

4. I had a strong group of friends/supporters outside of my work who I fully confided in and could talk about moments of stress/fear/embarassment

5. I used the time to evaluate and have an honest conversation with myself- "Is this job something worth fighting for?" "How can I look at this positively, what can I take out of this experience?" "Is this the time to start exploring other opportunities.?"

At Bain at least- your immediate supervisor would anyway be informed that you are in PIP because they are then working with you over the scope of 3 months to help you develop. I did not reveal to anyone else in the team that im going through it though.

Im happy to chat further and I wish you lots of strength/perseverance during this time.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

I would actually advice a more tailored case by case approach - 

- Staffing would already know, as when allocating resources they have access to their recent history and performance at the firm, so would make sure to leverage them to try accessing roles your strenghts can shine, or avoid specific people/projects you know might be detrimental, they are generally quite helpful if approached the right way

- Manager and project team: would only disclose as necessary. You might have a kickoff/intro chat at the beginning of the project with the M, and there you might want to hint at the fact that you want to work on a specific dimension of your work that you feel like you'd want to improve on, and make sure to ask their constant feedback on it - while I would not necessarily disclose that you are on a PIP, mostly as that risks putting more pressure on yourself in terms of feeling examined and under a magnifying lens all along (they most likely are told anyways at some stage, but not creating that negative fist impression can help at times depending on the person).

- Mentor will be very relationship dependent, but would definitely share if you feel like you have a good and transparent relationship with them as they can help you with their experience 

Hello! 

One important (and positive) note is that there are many cases in which consultants successfully navigate PIP situations and go on to have great consulting careers!

In terms of what you could do, sharing a few thoughts below:

• Transparency: It could be helpful to discuss this with informal mentors, as they could be a good source of advice on how to improve performance and get back on the right track. In staffing/manager situations, you can have the main conversation and then towards the end you can mention that you are on PIP and that you would like to turn things around. You can mention what your development areas are and how committed you are to make things work (make sure to align on this approach with your informal mentors, as they understand the culture of the company better and can confirm whether this makes sense in your company)
• Coming out of PIP successfully: In my experience, people that have come out of PIP successfully were very mature about the situation - they didn't give up and become negative/frustrated, but focused on working on the developmental feedback they got in order to show progress in those areas. In addition, they worked with managers/leaders who spent extra time coaching them and helping them improve

Fingers crossed for you to get to the other side of PIP as quickly as possible and feel free to reach out in case you have any further questions.

Don’t tackle this on your own—that would be the worst mistake.

Involve others, especially mentors and managers, to help guide you.

Ask for frequent and actionable feedback, and regularly check how you are improving.

Best,

Alberto

Hey there,

For starters, coming out of PIP is very much doable and common for those who reflect on the growth and development activities required - so 100% you can trust and know that this is achievable for you. Let's go through your questions 1 by 1

(1) Should I be transparent about it with informal mentors, managers, staffing?

• For your mentors and managers that are invested in your growth and development, yes - i recommend you do. But you don't need to broadcast it beyond those that can help you as it can sometimes create a bias in the minds of people
• Anyone you work with (in your leadership line of supervision) should be told as well, as you would want their support and help, especially as they will be giving feedback that will be critical to getting you out of PIP
• Staffers tend to already know this, but if you are reaching out for opportunities beyond your direct staffers, I wouldn't share - however, I would ask my mentors and development guidance leaders if those opportunities would be a good fit for my development needs and abilities

(2) How did people come out of PIP successfully? 

• Strong focus on development and growth, and working with intense laser-focus on the activities to get them out of PIP. (Also having a positive mindset)
• Working with people that can help them grow and having regular constructive feedback and development sessions

Wishing you all the best!