How to use counseling skills in the performance appraisal process
The interviewing skills used in counseling usually require a great deal of practice, and some managers may never master the skills required. Some may also have personal qualities that make it difficult for them to be effective in such a role. To formulate a set of guidelines for a performance counseling session is difficult because each meeting is different. The purpose of the following information is to offer advice on approaches that may be adapted to particular situations and particular manager personalities.
Create a non-threatening atmosphere. The atmosphere in which the interview takes place must be private, pleasant and nonthreatening.
Have a positive attitude. Positive regard for the individual by the counselor is necessary if the employee is to feel safe
and make good use of the counseling opportunity. If the counselor does not believe that the problem is capable of a solution and that the employee deserves respect and is not out to deceive the counselor or manipulate the session, then there will be little chance of creating a successful counseling climate.
Focus on problem-solving. The emphasis must always be on problem-solving, not judging or blaming. This greatly enhances the chances of acceptance and cooperation and is a desirable aspect of the workplace in general, not merely a performance counseling session. If the focus remains on addressing the problem, and not on the individual, performance counseling will be more likely to be regarded as a normal part of workplace operations.
Stay fact-based. The employee is told what is being observed on the job. Use specific instances rather than generalizations (such as you are affecting morale
) and mention the implications of that behavior for the workplace.
Provide opportunity to explain. Remember that one employee's behavior may be a symptom of other problems, and the employee should have the opportunity to explain his or her perspective.
Listen.The skill of listening is critical. Assist by encouraging the employee to take her time and to summarize the important points. It is much more important to hear the employee than to be working out what you are going to say next.
Stay balanced. Encouragement and mention of the employee's strengths is essential to self-esteem and will assist a positive outcome to counseling. Providing only negative feedback will make employees wary and will not contribute to solving the problem.
Know policy and procedure. Knowledge of company policies, rules and procedures will be necessary, particularly for disciplinary or safety-related issues.
Refer to other available resources. Counselors should keep a selection or list of resources on subjects relevant to counseling (such as the Employee Assistance Program), as these can be of great use to an employee who is experiencing on-the-job difficulties. The counselor must be familiar with the resources to ensure they are suitable for the particular situation.
Be supportive. Empathy is important. This means that the counselor assures the employee that the counselor is supportive, understands the problem, empathizes with the employee's feelings, appears nonjudgmental and is there to help the employee solve the problem. Personal criticism of the employee should always be avoided. The interviewer should convey empathy both verbally and nonverbally.
Avoid value judgments. Avoid using words such as reason,
logic
or common-sense
as value judgments. People do not always act logically when they are emotionally affected.
Provide alternative perspectives. When the interviewer knows or believes the employee is lying or distorting the truth, an approach suggesting that there is more than one way of considering an issue should be used, rather than directly confronting the employee. The interviewer can then suggest the truth
as one of the alternatives and influence the employee to consider how others might view the same issue.
Explore solutions.Exploration
is a crucial technique of counseling. Both parties look for solutions to the problem by considering alternatives. The role of the counselor is to make observations along these lines and allow the employee to evaluate the observations himself.
Set goals. A desirable outcome to the peformance counseling interview is to set attainable and reasonable goals of a fairly specific nature and to plan for future sessions to monitor progress. Peformance counseling may take the form of a written or unwritten contract
of obligations to be observed by each party. Greatest success is reached when the goals are jointly negotiated.
Stay flexible. If the employee is unable to face a problem at the time, one option is to provide the opportunity to think about the issues and what has been discussed for a time, and return later for another interview. In such cases, a specific date and time should be set.
Management conflicts. Role confusion can be a problem for managers and supervisors who also act as counselors, particularly if there is conflict between the interests of the company and those of the employee-conflict between the supervisory and counseling roles can be a common example. Although various forms of employee participation in management are gradually reducing it, the supervisor/subordinate relationship still implies inequality in many instances, where counseling requires a helping
relationship between two equals. The counselor should therefore try to avoid the image of representing the company and needing to manipulate the employee for that reason.
Dealing with emotional responses in the performance counseling session
Performance counseling has both an informational aspect and an emotional aspect. The latter will generally arise out of the employee's reactions to the interview, but it may also surface from the manager's own discomfort, fear, or anger over the problems giving rise to the counseling session. While reactions from the employee are desirable feedback, it is not easy to control such feedback (if it is necessary to do so) and, if it does get out of hand, the purpose of the interview may become clouded. When engaged in a counseling interview, employees may demonstrate strong emotions. The following presents general guidance to assist workplace counselors in responding to emotion and to positively focus the emotion and the response.
Employee response: hostile and angry. The underlying feelings and motivations may be:
pain
anger
disappointment
relief
The manager, in turn, might handle the employee's reaction with these responses:
Summarize what you have heard in a tentative manner: It sounds like you are pretty angry about this.
Avoid confronting the anger or becoming defensive.
Remain objective; stick to the facts, and give the employee helpful information.
Employee response: defensive and bargaining. The underlying feelings and motivations may be:
guilty
afraid
uncertain
disbelief
The manager, in turn, might handle the employee's reaction with these responses:
Let the employee know you realize this is difficult for him or her, as well as for yourself.
Don't get involved in any bargaining discussions.
Offer reassurance (if possible), and connect this process to the overall counseling process.
Employee response: formal and procedural. The underlying feelings and motivations may be:
vengeful
suppressed
controlled
unbelieving
The manager, in turn, might handle the employee's reaction with these responses:
Employee response: stoic. The underlying feelings and motivations may be:
The manager, in turn, might handle the employee's reaction with these responses:
Communicate to the employee that you recognize his or her shock, defer details for another time if the employee prefers.
Ask if there are any specific questions. If not, arrange for follow-up at a specific time.
Employee response: crying and sobbing. The underlying feelings and motivations may be:
The manager, in turn, might handle the employee's reaction with these responses:
Give the employee an opportunity to cry, if that occurs. Just offer some tissue.
Avoid inane advice like what are you crying about, it's not that important.
When the employee regains his or her composure, press on with the facts and explain next step in the counseling process.
<p>The interviewing skills used in counseling usually require a great deal of practice, and some managers may never master the skills required.</p>
How to use counseling skills in the performance appraisal process
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