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The Step Most People Skip—and Pay For Later
You’ll notice it when it’s already too late...
Justin Mecham
May 05, 2025
Hey Full Potential Zoners!
The best performance plans don’t shame— they solve.
When someone’s performance slips -silence won’t fix it.
One tough talk won’t fix it.
Micromanaging won’t fix it.
What works? A clear plan, with real goals and consistent progress.
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The goal isn’t to catch failure— it’s to build success.
Done right, performance plans: create clarity, restore confidence and help people get back on track
Not with fear. Not with shame.
Instead - with structure, with direction and with progress that actually sticks.
Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:
‘Plan. Execute. Improve. - Performance Improvement Plans Made Simple'.
Let’s dive in!
Download This PDF + my Top 60+ Cheat Sheets At Bottom of Email
Real-World Ways to Use Performance Improvement Plans
1. Support Team’s Satisfaction Scores Are Slipping
Scenario: A customer support rep is getting poor satisfaction scores
SMART Goal:
Raise CSAT score from 3.4 to 4.5 in 90 days.
Identify the Gaps:
Low scores tied to slow replies and passive tone.
Prioritize Actions:
Quick win—use response templates.
Major task—training on tone.
Commit to Progress:
Daily peer reviews, 2-week training, CSAT tracked biweekly.
2. Constant Delays on Cross-Functional Projects
Scenario: A team keeps missing deadlines on cross-functional projects
SMART Goal:
Deliver 90% of shared deliverables on time for the next 3 months.
Identify the Gaps:
Poor communication and unclear timelines.
Prioritize Actions:
Quick win—use shared timeline tool.
Major task—rebuild project plan with input from all leads.
Commit to Progress:
Assign weekly roles, use PDCA to improve timelines month over month.
3. Struggling Sales Reps Need a Turnaround Plan
Scenario: A sales manager wants to improve performance of underperformers
SMART Goal:
Help 3 team members reach 80% of their quota in 60 days.
Identify the Gaps:
Lack of cold call practice, weak follow-up habits.
Prioritize Actions:
Quick win—daily cold call drills.
Major project—build follow-up playbook.
Commit to Progress:
Track individual progress weekly, coach biweekly, adjust plan monthly.
4. Remote Team Is Quiet but Misaligned
Scenario: A remote team struggles with accountability and visibility
SMART Goal:
Ensure 100% daily task updates in project tracker for the next 30 workdays.
Identify the Gaps:
Tasks completed, but not logged—others can’t move forward.
Prioritize Actions:
Quick win—daily reminders.
Major project—training on async workflows.
Commit to Progress:
Review tracker usage every week, adapt tools if needed.
Misalignment Between Departments
At a company I was consulting for, the marketing and product teams were constantly clashing.
Marketing pushed for faster launches to meet campaign deadlines, while product insisted on delays for quality control.
Each team felt ignored.
Tension grew, timelines slipped, and morale dropped.
I stepped in and led a shared alignment session.
First, I had each team clearly explain their priorities—without interruption.
Then I asked each group to repeat what they heard from the other, to confirm understanding.
Next, I facilitated a discussion to find overlap: What did both teams want for the customer?
What did success look like for both?
We then mapped a shared roadmap with agreed timelines and clear success metrics.
I also recommended a 20-minute weekly sync between team leads to stay aligned moving forward.
The roadmap created clarity, the regular syncs kept momentum, and both teams felt heard.
Cross-team trust grew, deadlines were met more consistently, and campaigns rolled out with fewer last-minute issues.
Quick Tips:
Always start with shared goals (especially customer-focused ones).
Let each side explain first—then repeat it back to build trust.
Visual roadmaps help make alignment real.
Keep syncs short, regular, and focused.
When priorities are clear and teams feel understood, tension fades.
Alignment isn’t about forcing agreement—it’s about building the right conversations early, before small gaps turn into wide divides.
Here's how you can make it real over the next 4 days:
Day 1 – Find the Gaps
Choose one project, team, or relationship you are part of. Write down where you feel the goals, timelines, or expectations are unclear.
What parts feel confusing?
Where are people making assumptions?
What issues keep repeating?
Spot the real gaps before they cause bigger problems.
AI Prompt: “You are a team clarity expert. I want help spotting where alignment is missing in my project or team. Help me list the most common signs of misalignment and how I can tell if a goal, deadline, or role is unclear.”
Day 2 – Clarify the Goals
Pick one confusing goal or project from yesterday’s list. Write out what success would look like in one short sentence.
How would you explain it to someone new?
What would be true if the goal was fully achieved?
Clear goals create clear paths.
Don’t move forward until you can explain it simply.
AI Prompt: “You are a business coach. I’m trying to write a short, clear goal that shows what success looks like for my team or project. Help me turn a messy goal into a simple one-line goal that is easy to explain.”
Choose a person or team you work with often.
Send one quick message or set up one small check-in focused only on getting aligned.
Example:
“Before we move forward, can we each explain what success looks like to us in one sentence?”
Alignment starts with asking, not assuming.
AI Prompt: “You are a communication coach. I want to ask someone I work with what success looks like to them—but I want to do it in a simple, respectful way. Give me 3 sentence starters I can use to make that conversation easier.”
Day 4 – Build a Quick Visual
Take one project or goal and make a simple visual roadmap.
List 3-5 key steps.
Add one milestone you can all see and agree on.
Make your work visible. It’s easier to stay aligned when you can see where you’re going.
AI Prompt: “You are a project coach. I want to turn one of my current goals into a simple visual roadmap. Help me outline 3–5 steps and 1 milestone I can share with my team to get us on the same page.”
Progress is built, not wished for.
Clear plans turn effort into results.
Small wins today lead to bigger moves tomorrow.
Execution is what separates a goal from a guess.
Improvement is not about being perfect—it’s about being willing.
Every step you take with purpose moves you closer to real progress.
Simple steps, taken consistently, create real change.
Until next time and with lots of love,
Justin
This Week’s Growth Recommendations
Book To Read:
“Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy (see it here)
TED Talk to Watch
“How To Get Better At The Things You Care About" by Eduardo Briceño (see it here)
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