When the PIP Feels Disingenuous: The Ethics of Managing Out 7 | 11

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:28) Leadership Failures
(00:06:14) Is This Process Disingenuous?
(00:09:19) The Emotional Toll of Performance Management
(00:13:51) Communicating Radical Candor During a PIP
(00:18:51) Why Informal PIPs Exist
(00:22:17) Responding to Employee Pushback
(00:28:28) What Can a Manager Legally and Ethically Say?
(00:32:59) Radical Candor Tips
(00:36:05) Pushing Back to the Boss
(00:37:25) Conclusion

When a PIP feels like a setup, how do you handle it without compromising your integrity?

Trapped between an HR-driven process that feels like a sham and a direct report who’s not meeting expectations? That’s a management nightmare. When a boss hands you a struggling employee with the unspoken expectation that you’ll “manage them out,” how do you stay honest, maintain trust, and avoid turning into the workplace grim reaper? Kim, Jason, and Amy break down the emotional and ethical toll of Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), how to navigate them without feeling like a pawn, and why Radical Candor is the only way through. This isn’t about sugarcoating or corporate theater—it’s about handling tough conversations with clarity, fairness, and a whole lot less BS.

Get all of the show notes at RadicalCandor.com/podcast.

Episode Links:

• The Radical Candor Order of Operations | Radical Candor
• Managing Challenging Conversations At Work | Radical Candor
• What Does Managing Out Mean? | Radical Candor Podcast 6 | 6
• Performance Improvement Plans | Radical Candor Podcast 5 | 20
• The Measurement Problem | Radical Candor Podcast 3 | 7
• How To Gauge Your Feedback | Radical Candor
• Are You 'Helping' or Micromanaging? | Radical Candor Podcast 5 | 2
• Is Your Employee In The Wrong Job? Don't Let Ruinous Empathy Ruin Your Team
• Absentee Management vs. Quiet Firing | Radical Candor Podcast 5 | 3

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