Coaching is the appropriate first response when performance concerns begin to emerge, and it should begin as early as possible.
Early coaching creates space for clarity, feedback, support, and course correction before concerns become more entrenched.
When done well, coaching can resolve many issues early. It gives employees an opportunity to understand expectations, adjust behaviours, and rebuild momentum with guidance.
But coaching should be intentional – not indefinite.
There are times when progress remains limited despite repeated conversations, clear expectations, and reasonable support. This is often where leaders begin to feel stuck.
Do you continue coaching?
Do you move to a formal plan?
Have you missed something important?
Thoughtful leadership requires discernment – because not every performance issue should be handled the same way.
Note: Processes vary by workplace, jurisdiction, policy, and collective agreement. Where available, leaders should work closely with HR.
What Effective Coaching Should Include Before Moving Beyond It
Strong coaching is more than a casual check-in or a vague reminder to “do better.”
Before moving to a formal plan, leaders should be able to demonstrate that meaningful coaching efforts have already occurred.
That often includes:
- clear discussion of the concern
- specific examples of the gap
- clarification of expectations
- multiple coaching conversations over time
- guidance on how to improve
- reasonable time to demonstrate progress
- support, tools, or training where needed
- regular follow-up meetings
- documented coaching conversations and follow-up notes
- review of progress after feedback was provided
When these elements are present, coaching gives people a fair opportunity to succeed. For more information on how to approach and document coaching you can refer to – Coaching Conversations: What to Say to Support Performance and Growth.
A formal Performance Improvement plan is strongest when it builds on prior coaching – not when it replaces it.
Few leaders are taught how to navigate this well – yet many are expected to do it confidently.
How to Know Coaching May Not Be Working
There is rarely one dramatic moment. More often, patterns begin to emerge.
You may notice:
- the same issues continue despite feedback
- commitments are made but not sustained
- improvement is temporary, then declines again
- ownership remains limited
- results continue to be affected
- increasing time is spent managing the same concern
At this stage, the question is not only whether performance is below expectations.
The question is why.
Pause Before Escalating: Is the Issue Culpable or Non-Culpable?
This distinction often determines the right next step.
(If you’re navigating the difference between support and consequences, you may also find the post on Coaching vs Discipline helpful.)
Non-Culpable Performance Concerns
Non-culpable concerns arise when the employee may be willing to perform, but something is affecting their ability to meet expectations.
Examples may include:
- health or wellbeing challenges
- personal or family difficulties
- skill gaps or training needs
- unclear expectations or shifting priorities
With the exception of health or wellbeing concerns and family difficulties, these concerns are often better addressed through a structured plan, including support, and a fair opportunity to improve performance.
Culpable Concerns
Culpable concerns arise when the employee is reasonably capable of meeting expectations but chooses not to, or repeatedly fails to meet standards despite clear direction.
Examples may include:
- refusal to follow procedures
- repeated lateness without valid reason
- disregard for expectations
- misconduct or deliberate non-compliance
These concerns require a different path than a support-focused performance plan.
Strong leaders do not confuse inability with unwillingness.
Where an HR department exists, leaders should involve them early. Performance concerns may intersect with internal policy, documentation standards, accommodation obligations, collective agreement language, and broader consistency across the organization.
Why I Prefer PPSP Over PIP
Many organizations refer to a formal next step in the coaching process as a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
While common, I have never loved the language.
The word improvement can place the burden entirely on the employee, as though performance exists in isolation from leadership, systems, training, clarity, or support.
In reality, many non-culpable concerns require more than individual effort.
They require clearer expectations, stronger coaching, better resources, regular follow-up, and consistent leadership support.
That is why I prefer the term Performance Progress and Support Plan (PPSP).
Because the goal should not simply be to “fix” someone.
The goal should be to create measurable progress through structured support and clear expectations.
Language shapes leadership.
And titles signal intent.
When a Performance Progress and Support Plan (PPSP) Is the Right Next Step
A PPSP is often the next step when coaching has not created sufficient progress and the concern is non-culpable.
It is not punishment.
It is a structured process intended to help someone succeed.
A strong PPSP often includes:
- clear description of the performance gaps
- how those gaps differ from role expectations
- clarified expectations moving forward
- supports, tools, or training available
- measurable goals
- timelines for progress
- regular follow-up meetings
- documentation of outcomes
The goal is clarity, support, and a fair opportunity to improve.
What Leaders Should Understand Before Starting a PPSP
A PPSP is significant work for a manager, but often necessary if there are performance gaps to meet your obligations as an employer.
It often requires:
- frequent check-ins
- consistent coaching conversations
- close review of progress
- documentation throughout the process
- timely feedback between meetings
- adjusting supports where appropriate
- fairness and consistency throughout
In practice, a PPSP usually works best when leadership has a genuine belief that the employee can be successful with the right structure and support.
If there is no realistic path to success, leaders should pause and seek HR or legal guidance before beginning a process that may only delay harder decisions.
A plan should be built on possibility – not false hope.
Where available, HR should be engaged throughout the process to help ensure fairness, consistency, and alignment with organizational obligations.
How Long Should a Performance Progress and Support Plan (PPSP) Last?
There is no one-size-fits-all timeline.
The appropriate length depends on:
- the nature and severity of the concern
- complexity of the role
- how quickly improvement can reasonably be measured
- training or support required
- internal policy
- whether a collective agreement governs the process
That said, in many workplaces, a plan shorter than 90 days may not provide enough time to demonstrate meaningful and sustained improvement.
For that reason, many plans are structured for approximately three months or longer, with formal checkpoints throughout.
The goal should be meaningful opportunity – not unnecessary delay.
What Happens at the End of a PPSP?
By the end of the plan, outcomes are typically clearer.
That may include:
- expectations are being met and the employee returns to normal performance management processes
- meaningful progress has occurred and continued monitoring is appropriate
- partial progress requires an adjusted or extended plan where appropriate
- insufficient improvement may lead to further action, up to and including termination in some circumstances (HR or legal guidance is required)
Employees should understand from the outset that this is a serious process with real consequences if expectations are not met.
No one should be surprised by the possible outcomes at the end.
Any next steps should align with internal policy, applicable legislation, and collective agreement obligations where relevant.
Final Thought
Not every performance concern requires punishment.
Not every coaching issue requires endless patience.
Not every struggling employee needs the same solution.
Leadership is knowing what problem you are actually solving.
Sometimes the next step is stronger support through a structured plan.
Sometimes the next step is different altogether.
Knowing the difference is where leadership maturity begins.