Performance Improvement Plan
Formal and consequence-bearing — a different conversation from Development Plans' growth-oriented 70-20-10, even though both exist to close a gap.
When This Is the Right Tool
Both documents close a gap, but they start from opposite places. Loop in HR before one of these starts, not after.
Development Plan
For someone already meeting expectations who wants to grow further, or who's being groomed for a role they're not quite ready for yet. No implied threat — a bet on upside.
Performance Improvement Plan
For someone falling short of expectations they were already given — the ones set in Goal Setting's Performance goal, not a surprise standard introduced here. Real consequences if it doesn't close.
What Goes In It
The specific gap — tied to measurable expectations the person already knew about. If it's news to them, the plan is starting a step too early.
The target — specific and measurable, achievable inside the timeline. "Improve communication" isn't a target; "send a written status update every Friday" is.
The timeline — typically 30, 60, or 90 days, matched to how long the gap actually takes to demonstrate closing.
The check-in cadence — weekly or biweekly for the duration, tighter than the normal 1:1 rhythm. Nobody should reach the end date and be surprised by the outcome.
The consequence — stated explicitly, in writing, before the plan starts. Not implied, not softened.
Worked Example
Paul Falcone's 101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems structures every sample the same four-part way — the version below follows that same shape.
Incident Description: In the last three sprints (Aug 12, Aug 26, Sep 9), Alex committed to the sprint goal in planning but delivered none of the three on time — each slipped 3-6 days, and no blocker was raised in standup until the day of the demo.
Performance Improvement Plan: For the next 30 days, Alex will flag any at-risk commitment at least 2 working days before the sprint deadline — in standup or directly to their manager — not after the deadline has already passed.
Outcomes & Consequences: Meeting this target for 30 days closes the plan successfully, noted in the next Performance Review. Missing it moves to a final written warning, with HR involved from that point on.
Employee Rebuttal: Space reserved for Alex's own written response — context they want on record, points of disagreement, or factors they believe affected delivery.
Same rule as Performance Reviews: this should never be the first time someone hears the feedback. And be honest with yourself about which kind of plan this actually is before it starts — a genuine attempt to help someone clear the bar needs real support behind it, not just a document; one that's really documentation for a decision already made still has to be run fairly, but pretending otherwise to yourself doesn't change which one it is.
Try It
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or whatever AI tool you use: