Employee Coaching/Counseling Guidelines
The Employee Counseling Form should be used to document those areas of employee
performance that must be corrected.
What is counseling?A counseling session is a meeting between the supervisor and the employee which may focus on a specific incident, a particular aspect of an employee’s performance which the supervisor has identified as needing improvement, or the employee’s overall performance or conduct. The counseling process is initiated and executed at the department level by the supervisor and is not discipline. It is a face-to-face communication between the supervisor and the employee, conducted in private, and is intended to have a constructive goal of providing feedback to the employee’s official personnel file.
What is coaching?Coaching is a critical skill for a supervisor or manager to employ in order to encourage employees to perform their best. Managers become coaches when they use feedback on an ongoing basis to reinforce positive behavior or to correct actions that do not meet the organization’s established policies or procedures. Management is often one-way; coaching must be a two-way form of communication with the coach and the organization constantly giving and receiving feedback.
What does a coach do? Communicate effectively and lead by example.
To coach by using feedback, leaders should remember these guidelines:
Be specific, direct, and honest. Merely saying “you are a great person” is not as powerful as “You resolved that problem by completing the report”.
Be timely. Do not wait two weeks to tell someone about something they did today. The most dramatic results come from immediate feedback. Additionally your immediate attention will reinforce the importance you place on the employee’s job performance.
Discuss what the person did, not who the person is. Feedback like “that’s stupid” or “you’re nice” talks about who the person is, not what the person did on the job. Coaches give job performance feedback and should refrain from making comments about personal characteristics not directly linked to behavior or job performance.
Positive Feedback Rules: The coaching process should involve positive and encouraging feedback at least 80% of the time. Negative (or constructive) feedback is extremely valuable, however and should be used as a call to action to initiate change and create awareness.
Of course, feedback is not enough. “Do as I say, not as I do” never works. People need to see reinforcement through actions. Team members will follow the coach’s example much more than any empty statements about the organization’s style of management or mission. Leaders must show through their actions, not merely their words, what type of performance is expected in the workplace.
Qualities of an Effective Coach
In addition to being a positive role model and an effective communicator, coaches inspire members of their organization by treating everyone with respect, consideration, and fairness. Great coaches look for opportunities to praise good performance, as well as counsel on how to improve. Coaches also teach employees how to take their performance to a maximum level. An effective coach will often incorporate the following steps in this process:
Explain the instructions and have someone actually demonstrate the skill or procedure if appropriate.
Have team members perform the task themselves asking questions as they go along to check their understanding.
Provide feedback on performance and encourage other employees to give feedback on how they feel about what they are learning.
Follow up to make sure the employees apply the skill or knowledge back on the job and give on-going feedback.
Avoid extremes. Your employees will not learn if every time there is a problem you wind up performing the tasks yourself or taking a passive position, sitting back and waiting for an employee to fail, if it is clear they need additional guidance.
Coaching Tips
DO be specific, direct and honest. Point out the specific actions that are leading to both positive and negative results.
DO NOT put off discussion. It is more effective to tell the employee about something they did while it is still fresh in their mind.
DO NOT discuss who the person is; only discuss what the person did. Coaches should only give job performance feedback.
DO take the employee out of their comfort zone. Coaching should stretch the individual beyond what they are comfortable with – this is when real growth occurs.
DO give “homework” assignments. This may include such activities as reading a particular book or shadowing.
DO acknowledge accomplishments and empathize when the employee is down.
DO NOT break the confidentiality of the coaching partnership.
DO establish commitment. Both the coach and the Team Member must be committed to the process in order for it to truly work.
Completing the Counseling Form
Step 1:
• Determine what type of warning this is.
Verbal counseling: Can be for first-time performance errors or for actions that can be
corrected with minimal time and effort.
Written counseling: Should be used for a pattern of performance errors or actions
that show a disregard for policies and procedures.
Final counseling: Used as a final step for actions or errors that will result in
Termination if the issues are not corrected.
Step 2:
• Include the following facts in all coaching/counseling documentation
What happened
When it happened
Where is happened
Who was involved
Why it happened
• Discuss the nature of the unsatisfactory performance or employee misconduct.
• Describe the proper behavior or expectation.
• Describe the adverse impact the employee’s performance is having on fellow employees,
company operations and/or customers.
• Explain the consequences if the matter is not corrected, for example demotion, probation,
termination, etc.
• Avoid talking about past mistakes. Stick to what is going on right now.
• Don’t dwell on feelings; move to PERFORMANCE
Step 3:
• Give the employee an opportunity to explain his/her viewpoint of the situation.
• Ask the employee for ideas to help improve or correct the situation.
• Be specific, realistic and set performance targets.
• Schedule a follow-up meeting to jointly create an action plan for correction and
prevention of re-occurrence.
Step 4:
• Develop the action plan together at the follow-up meeting.
• Schedule further follow-up sessions to discuss progress.
Step 5:
• Follow through on any commitments made to the employee or any disciplinary actions as noted in the Counseling Documentation form.
This form requires the employee’s signature as an acknowledgment of understanding. If the
employee refuses to sign, you should note the reason for refusal on the form and indicate the
date and time of the conversation.
If possible, always have another company representative attend the meeting at time o
Common Negative Phrases / Examples of Positive PhrasesGeneralizations / You always…
You never …
You should know …
You do that every time… / Sometimes it seems like…
If it comes up again, you might try …
You might consider…
Once in a while….
Negative Words / No, cannot, will not, unable to, the rules are / Yes, I can, will, am able to,
Mistrust / I can count on you to get this done on time, right?
Do you really understand?
Is this the best you can do? / I know you can do it.
Let me explain this in a different way
Lying / You claim that…
You say that…
That’s what you say, but… / It might be….
Perhaps
Are you saying that….
Implying stupidity / We cannot see how you could…
We fail to understand…
We are at a loss to know… / Perhaps you weren’t aware…
My understanding is…
Maybe my report was not clear…
Carelessness / You failed to include…
You overlooked this…
You neglected to… / Is it possible…
Maybe my report was not clear …
Power Based / You have to…
Because I’m the boss …
From now on…
What you need to do is… / Have you considered….
What is your plan…
Options for Dealing with Difficult Employees
CAUSE SUGGESTED APPROACHES
UnderqualifiedProvide additional training and development
Restructure job to fit skills and strengths
Transfer
Demotion
OverqualifiedGive more responsibility
Use for special projects
Restructure job to take advantage of skills and strengths
Transfer
Promotion
Health ProblemsMedical treatment
Medical evaluation of capabilities
Leave of Absence
Reasonable Accommodation
Lack of clarificationDefine job
Review policies, procedures, etc.
State/clarify expectations
Job changesExplain job content
Provide training on new aspects or technology
State expectations clearly
Work climateWork on relationship building
Modify group norms
Reinforce compliance with departmental rules and standards
Balance workload through redistribution
Provide resources necessary to do job
Personal lifeRelate how personal life impacts job performance.
Offer advice carefully and sensitively
Offer Employee Assistance Program
Personality traitsRelate how personality impacts on job performance
Encourage modification of specific behavior
Don't focus on personality, focus on behavior
Addressing Difficult Behavior
Causes of performance, attendance or behavior problems usually fall under one of the following areas:
- The employee doesn't know how.
- Lack of instruction on how to do the task.
- Lack of feedback on how well the task has been done in the past.
- Something or someone keeps the employee from doing it.
- Lack of appropriate materials, equipment or resources to do the task.
- Outside personal problems.
- Physical/Mental restrictions.
- Inadequate time.
- The employee does not want to do it.
- Has poor attitude.
- Lack of initiative.
- Previous good work has gone unrecognized.
- Failure to pass promotional exam or passed over for promotion.
- Employee is "burned out" and/or unhappy.
- Doesn't like job, supervisor, co-workers, etc.
- Employee doesn't like doing a particular task.
Signs of poor work attitude may include some of the following:
- Incomplete assigned work.
- Mediocre quality of completed work.
- Frequent, unexplained absences.
- Easily distracted.
- Concerned about the "amount" of work done.
- Lack of interest in work, promotions or career opportunities.
Poor work attitude results in a lack of motivation and/or other disinterest in work assignments. Consequently, work performance experiences a negative impact.