Reader, steal this and avoid the dreaded PIP.

To protect their anonymity I'm going to call this client Acme Incorporated.

They had an attendance problem that was quickly becoming a turnover problem.

Workers were consistently arriving late or calling out at the last minute, which resulted in internal chaos as remaining staff scrambled to deliver services to the on-site clients each day.

Every day felt like the team was short staffed creating extra stress for managers, workers, and clients.

Acme had a very clear attendance policy and disciplinary practice. In the first two occurrences a staff member was reminded of the attendance policy verbally. However the third occurrence triggered a formally written notification of the performance issue commonly known as a PIP (performance improvement plan).

Not only did this fail to dissuade the absenteeism and late arrivals, it seemed to pour gasoline on the bad behavior fire. Now employees walked around with a bad attitude that spread like the flu.

The owner of Acme was perplexed and struggling to figure out why the disciplinary process was no longer helpful in correcting this problem. And that is when she hired me to provide development for her leaders.

To me the problem was simple. These leaders have been trained to treat this situation as a compliance issue. Acme has a policy and you as an employee have a duty to follow the policy and if you do not it will be consequences.

The problem was that the employees didn't care enough about the job to care about those consequences. It was a J-O-B--a way to earn a paycheck and nothing more.

From a human psychology point of view what these workers needed was a reason to be at work that was more compelling than their desire to hit the snooze button or take a mental health day.

They needed to understand how they were personally valuable and important to the work of Acme and the client experience. They needed to see themselves as a star in the Acme Incorporated show.

When employees are floundering to understand their purpose and significance in their place of work they struggle to maintain motivation to show up and give their best discretionary effort each day.

It is easy to tell themselves the story that it won't really matter if they're late or even not there at all. Additionally, they fall into a mental trap of viewing their work responsibilities as onerous tasks that they'd rather avoid. It's the perfect demotivation cocktail.

Most performance issues are not a set intention to do bad work but the result of demotivation that becomes a state of being. However, most disciplinary practices treat this as a character flaw, making it all about the employee and missing the opportunity to reinforce why they matter and how they contribute to the success of the team.

When leaders choose to magnify the employee's connection to the value and importance of the work they are doing and the impact it is creating for the customer, they change the narrative and give employees a powerful reason to show up and give their best. I frame this as the pivot from "I have to" to "I get to" thinking.

Here are some examples of that pivot at Acme Incorporated:

• "I have to sanitize the exam room" became "I give our clients peace of mind that they are in a clean environment and that we care about their health."
• "I have to cover for my coworker" became "I am helping John (the client receiving services) today so he feels safe and is able to have the assistance he needs."
• "I have to work late" became "I am putting in extra hours today to ensure that we are prepared to deliver an amazing day for our clients tomorrow."

Meaning is essential to enjoyment and fulfillment in your work. It is part of human nature to need your contribution to have a purpose beyond completing tasks and connected to delivering value into the world. Sometimes naming the meaningfulness is easy.

But if you're struggling here are a few questions to help you dig deeper and find the connection you need to magnify meaning in your work:

1. Who do we serve?
2. What do we do that matters to them?
3. What experience are we committed to delivering for them?
4. What commitment does this require of me?
5. Why is it worthy of my time and talent?

PIPs are universally despised by managers and employees alike because they don't make things better. The next time you see performance slipping in your team, instead of focusing on fixing the tasks focus on magnifying the meaning and you'll never write another PIP again.

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Reader, I need your help. I have been delivering this message to great reception with a few clients recently, and I realize that this needs to go viral. That's where you come in. Who do you know that leads a team or works in HR that needs to read this?

1. Pass it along to them
2. Use this swipe copy (or create your own): Hey, [name]. This dropped into my inbox this morning and I knew I needed to share it with you. I've been following Rita for a while and she is a master at delivering simple and actionable concepts that bring big dividends to teams and individuals. You should check her out (igniteextraordinary.com) and if you mention I referred you we both get a 10% discount on her services. You can also read recent testimonials from participants in her workshops here.

My 5-point System applies the latest insights from neuroscience and psychology to deliver:

LONG-TERM RETENTION: Retain the best people without the added cost of perks.

COST SAVINGS: Retain institutional knowledge and reduce the expense of talent replacement.

PERFORMANCE: Full discretionary effort from employees and resilience in the face of any challenge.

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Catch Up on 'the story i'm telling myself' podcast

Give us a 5-star review and share an episode with a friend: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music​

​Episode 1 with Karen Laos: Are You Enough? Finding your inner power

​Episode 2 with Gail Kraft: Is Your Fear of Abandonment Running the Show?

​Episode 3 with Sandra Adeyeye Bello: Am I Worth It? A question too many are afraid to answer

​Episode 4 with Leslie Minchin: Are You Busy or Just Avoiding Your Life?

​Episode 5 with Srivatsan Aravamudan: Broken, Dirty, Not Enough? The journey to self-acceptance

​Episode 6 with Vivian Blade: How Do I Say "I Lost My Job?"

​Episode 7 with Angie Redmon: Who Am I Letting Down? The hidden cost

​Episode 8 with Debbie Potts: I Refuse to Settle: Rewriting my story after a life-changing diagnosis

​Episode 9 with Tandra Price: Can I Do That? Unleashing your inner power

​Episode 10 with Ronda Berns: Am I the Prey? Overcoming fear and mastering sales

​Episode 11 with Carmen Alvarez: Can Joy and Grief Really Co-exist?

​Episode 12 with Melissa Robinson Hussain: Who Do You Want to Be? Coaching Yourself to Radical Transformation

​Episode 13 with Tiersa Hall: Is This Risk Too Big—Or Just the One You Need to Take?

​Episode 14 with Gary Spencer: Why You Should Pause Before Your Next Big Move (A Million-Dollar Lesson)

​Episode 15 with Susan LePLae Miller: Did I Abandon Myself Again?

​Episode 16 with Sharon Summerfield: I'm being undermined, now what??

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The Story I’m Telling Myself is for anyone who wants to overcome the limitations of self-doubt and live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Through candid conversations, you'll discover:

• The hidden costs of listening to your inner critic: How fear and doubt sabotage your confidence, happiness, and success.
• Transformational strategies for silencing the negative voice: Learn how to overcome self-doubt, embrace vulnerability, and step into your true potential.
• The power of a mindset shift: Discover how changing your internal dialogue can lead to extraordinary results.

Real-life stories of courage and resilience: Gain inspiration from everyday people who overcame their negative self-talk to live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music.

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