BragBox / PIP response template

Got put on a performance improvement plan? Write the response before you panic.

A PIP feels personal, but your reply should stay boring. Confirm what your manager expects, ask for proof points, and start a clean record from today.

This page gives you a first response you can adapt, plus the receipts to collect before the next check-in.

Quick note: This is career prep, not legal advice. If the plan affects your contract, visa, protected leave, disability support, or severance, speak to a local adviser before you reply.

The short response

Reply draft

Thanks for sending the plan. I want to make sure I understand the expectations and the evidence you will use to judge progress.

Can we confirm the specific outcomes you need by [date], how often we will review progress, and what examples would count as meeting the bar?

After that, I will send a short weekly update so we both have the same record of work completed, blockers, and next steps.

Ask these five questions

  1. Which outcome matters most by the next check-in?
  2. What would count as clear proof that I am back on track?
  3. Which examples led to the plan?
  4. Who decides whether the plan is complete?
  5. Can we review progress weekly in writing?

Start the proof file today

Open one note and add four headings: work completed, feedback received, blockers raised, decisions agreed. Update it every Friday. Keep screenshots or links where you can.

If your manager says something on a call, follow up in writing the same day: "I heard X, so I will do Y by Friday. Please correct me if I missed anything."

Need the fill-in version?

The Performance Review Prep Kit gives you a proof tracker, weekly update template, and self-review wording you can reuse during a PIP check-in. It costs £24 and is delivered through Payhip.

Get the £24 prep kit Get the £27 survival guide

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If the plan ends with a review

Use the same proof file to write your review notes. These pages can help:

If the plan is still live, start with the smaller paid step.

The £19 tracker is the cleaner first buy when you need one place for weekly proof, follow-up notes, blockers, and receipts. If you are not sure whether to stay with the tracker, move to the prep kit, or wait for the salary scripts later, use the review tools page instead of bouncing back to the homepage.

Get the £19 tracker Compare the review tools