I remember the first time I heard the acronym PIP, Performance Improvement Plan. And I genuinely believed it was exactly what the name suggested. A thoughtful, intentional path for a leader to help an employee improve. A chance to course-correct. A roadmap back to success. It sounded helpful. Clear. Goal-oriented. A tool for growth. Then I became a leader. And the first time I went to HR to terminate an employee, I was told, “Before we do that, you need to put them on a PIP.”