[jghn]

As someone who has been in that situation, it's better than "your performance is shit, you're fired". In my case a large part of the problem was that I was not picking up on what should have been obvious cues. This provided a needed wake up call, and prompted me to improve.

[_DeadFred_]

So poor management. A manager's job is to provide their reports the tools they need to do their job, and key to that is not 'obvious cues' but explicitly stated expectations. Basically the manager didn't manage and substituted a PIP for what they should have been doing all along.

[jghn]

I get what you're saying. But as the person directly involved, and as someone who has managed people over the years since, believe me when I say that the fault was my own.

[ambicapter]

You're really absolving the employee from any possible blame here. Sometimes people ignore blinking warning lights until they get a wake-up call.

[BeetleB]

> that I was not picking up on what should have been obvious cues.

Performance feedback should not come in the form of cues. If it does, it is poor management.

[SketchySeaBeast]

"To stay off the P-I-P you must answer me these riddles three."

[grahamj]

What is your favourite colour?