#65🤫 Successfully Navigating a Performance Improvement Plan with ADHD: Tips for Beating the Plan
8 tips that can help you overcome one of the most stressful things in tech that no one wants to talk about
Welcome to Tech Atypically 👋, your weekly blog for navigating the challenges of ADHD and being in the tech industry.
I am a coach specializing in ADHD and product management, and I help you change one belief and take one action each week.
Part 8 of the Performance and Productivity series.
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🦋The Takeaways
The Belief: Being put on a performance improvement plan is their way of saying I’m fired.
The Reality: It is possible to beat the plan and stay in your job.
The Action: Assess what your plan options are and create your plan.
⭐️Introduction - What is a PIP?
I want to talk about one of the biggest “don’t ask, don’t tell” subjects in the tech industry, performance improvement plans or PIPs.
PIPs are a list of goals to be achieved within a set time given to underperforming employees. The PIP may also include a list of examples of you’ve failed repeatedly at the role. If the employee can’t complete the goals as planned, they are let go.
Their options are typically either to complete the plan or voluntarily quit with a severance package.
In other words, PIPs are usually used as a tool to force an employee to leave voluntarily and avoid being fired.
Why? Here’s my non-HR expert opinion.
Instead of firing someone outright and risking negative press or perceptions, PIPs are used to make employees quit while giving employers the power to prevent any negative press.
A severance package typically includes signing non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements to ensure no one talks about what happened. (Note as of June 2023, non-disparagement clauses are no longer lawful in the US.)
This is how the “don’t ask, don’t tell” culture emerges. If someone asked what happened you can say whatever you’d like. You never have to have to say you’re fired (which can be beneficial to you).
As someone with ADHD, you are 60% more likely to get fired or if you’re in tech, PIP’ed. So I’m going to talk about it in hopes it saves you some pain should it happen to you.
In this issue, I’ll discuss tips on how to beat the plan. In next week’s issue, I’ll discuss tips on how to negotiate severance.
Buckle up, and let’s talk about what it means to be put on a PIP and what you can do about it.
😵💫The Belief – Being put on a PIP is the end of my job
When you're put on a PIP, it's easy to believe that your career at the company is over. The common perception is that PIPs are just a formality before being fired.
This belief can lead to feelings of shame, failure, and hopelessness. You might think, "I'll never be able to recover from this," or "Everyone will know I'm a bad employee."
For those with ADHD, rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) can amplify these negative emotions. RSD is an extreme emotional sensitivity to being rejected, criticized, or perceived as failing. It's common in people with ADHD.
So when you're put on a PIP, RSD can make you feel like it's the end of the world. You might catastrophize and believe you'll never succeed anywhere else.
But here's the thing: being put on a PIP doesn't have to be the end of your career at a company. It is possible to complete the plan successfully and keep your job.
🤝The Reality – It’s a beatable monster
While it's true that many PIPs are designed to push employees out, some are genuine attempts to help struggling employees improve.
The key is to assess the likelihood of success in your specific situation. Factors to consider:
The nature of the goals.
Are they realistic and achievable within the given timeline?
Are the reasons why you got put on the PIP things real things and therefore show they are acting in good faith with you?
Your relationship with your manager.
Do they seem invested in your success or eager for you to fail?
How’s your relationship with your skip manager and other important leaders like your engineering partner manager?
The company's history with PIPs.
Do they have a track record of employees successfully completing PIPs and staying on?
Your own capacity.
Do you have the skills, resources, and support to meet the goals?
If the stars align and you believe you can complete the PIP, it's worth giving it your all. Beating a PIP can demonstrate resilience, growth, and commitment.
It can come at a cost however like not being eligible for promotion for 2 years or a pay cut. I don’t want to discourage you, I want you to know what you’re getting into.
🛠️The Action – Asses your situation and plan for battle
Here’s a collection of strategies that I, expert tech counselor Michael, and others have found helpful in beating PIPs in tech companies.
Breathe. Allow yourself to process the experience.
It sucks, but it’ll be ok in the end. It’s just one job of many you’ll have in your career.
Allow yourself to process the pain, shame, disappointment, whatever you’re feeling so you can make your next decision with as clear of a head as possible.
Decide if you want to attempt the PIP or negotiate an exit.
Assess the situation.
Use the criteria in the Reality section to gauge the likelihood of success.
Do I believe my manager and skip manager want me to succeed?
What’s next for me after I complete the plan?
If I’m on a sponsored visa, which option gives me the most time on my current visa and the time to find a new job?
More on negotiating severance next week.
If attempting the PIP, create a detailed plan to achieve the goals.
Break them into manageable chunks.
You don’t have to break these into chunks alone, work with others.
Ask to meet your skip level and review your goals from your manager to make sure they’re aligned.
You may need your manager and your skip to sign off on the plan.
Build a support system so you don’t have to do it alone.
Don't suffer in silence. Reach out to others for encouragement and advice.
Allow others to help you. Their written feedback can be integral to your plan's success.
They may even give you other options like transferring you to a different team before the plan begins so you can do the PIP under a leader who cares more. (This happened to me and I’ll always remember their kindness)
Ask for help from those you trust the most.
There may be some out there that don’t want you to succeed. Some matter, some don’t. You’ll have to figure that out.
Hyperfocus on all the main things listed in the PIP and work on them intentionally.
Obsess about the most important stuff and leave the other noise behind until the plan is over.
Communicate with your manager regularly and document everything.
Set clear expectations on when to discuss progress, deliverables, and feedback.
Track all your meetings and action items and provide a way for manager to check on their progress. For example, a shared doc or Asana list.
Do most of your communications in writing so you have evidence to show HR and your manager what’s been done.
Use a circle of control to organize your tasks and negotiate how to best achieve them.
Understanding what you can and can’t control will help you and your manager identify how to best set and achieve goals.
Using the circle may help your manager recognize goals that are not obtainable by you and give you more realistic ones.
Take care of yourself.
PIPs are mentally and emotionally draining. Prioritize self-care.
It’s going tough no matter what but it’s just a job, not your life. Take care of yourself so you can be ready for whatever is next.
✨Conclusion
Being put on a PIP when you have ADHD can feel like the ultimate failure. But it doesn't have to be the end of your career at a company.
By carefully evaluating the situation, creating a solid plan, and leaning on support, it is possible to beat a PIP and keep your job.
However, it's not a path availble for everyone. Next week, I'll dive into how to negotiate a successful exit if you decide to move on.
I’ll talk about money, lawyers, and power.
🐼Talk to me privately about your ADHD struggles.
⏭️Next Week
Navigating a Performance Plan with ADHD: Managing Your Exit