Conducting the Counseling

CONDUCT THE COUNSELING SESSION

Army Leadership

Caring Army leaders use a balanced mix of formal and informal counseling and learn to take
advantage of everyday events to provide subordinates with feedback. Counseling opportunities often
appear when leaders encounter subordinates in their daily activities in the field, motor pool, barracks, and
wherever else Soldiers and civilians perform their duties. Even during ad-hoc counseling, leaders should
address the four basic components of a counseling session:

• Opening the session.
• Discussing the issues.
• Developing a plan of action.
• Recording and closing the session.
• Open the Session

In the session opening, the leader counselor states the purpose and establishes a subordinate-centered
setting. The counselor establishes an atmosphere of shared purpose by inviting the subordinate to speak.
An appropriate purpose statement might be “SFC Taylor, the purpose of this counseling is to discuss your
duty performance over the past month and to create a plan to enhance performance and attain performance
goals.” If applicable, start the counseling session by reviewing the status of the current plan of action.

Discuss the Issues
Leader and counseled individual should attempt to develop a mutual and clear understanding of the
counseling issues. Use active listening and invite the subordinate to do most of the talking. Respond and
ask questions without dominating the conversation but help the subordinate better understand the subject of
the counseling session: duty performance, a problem situation and its impact, or potential areas for growth.

Counseling
To reduce the perception of bias or early judgment, both leader and subordinate should provide
examples or cite specific observations. When the issue is substandard performance, the leader must be clear
why the performance did not meet the standard. During the discussion, the leader must clearly establish
what the subordinate must do to meet the standard in the future. It is very important that the leader frames
the issue at hand as substandard performance and prevents the subordinate from labeling the issue as an
unreasonable standard. An exception would be when the leader considers the current standard as negotiable
or is willing to alter the conditions under which the subordinate can meet the standard.

Develop a Plan of Action
A plan of action identifies a method and pathway for achieving a desired result. It specifies what the
subordinate must do to reach agreed-upon goals set during the counseling session. The plan of action must
be specific, showing the subordinate how to modify or maintain his or her behavior. Example: “PFC
Miller, next week you’ll attend the map reading class with 1st Platoon. After the class, SGT Dixon will
personally coach you through the land navigation course. He will help you develop your skills with the
compass. After observing you going through the course with SGT Dixon, I will meet with you again to
determine if you still need additional training.”

Record and Close the Session
Although requirements to record counseling sessions vary, a leader always benefits from
documenting the main points of a counseling session, even the informal ones. Documentation serves as a
ready reference for the agreed-upon plan of action and helps the leader track the subordinate’s
accomplishments, improvements, personal preferences, or problems. A good record of counseling enables
the leader to make proper recommendations for professional development, schools, promotions, and
evaluation reports.

Army regulations require specific written records of counseling for certain personnel actions, such as
barring a Soldier from reenlisting, processing an administrative separation, or placing a Soldier in the
overweight program. When a Soldier faces involuntary separation, the leader must maintain accurate
counseling records. Documentation of substandard actions often conveys a strong message to subordinates
that a further slip in performance or discipline could require more severe action or punishment.

When closing the counseling session, summarize the key points and ask if the subordinate
understands and agrees with the proposed plan of action. With the subordinate present, establish any
follow-up measures necessary to support the successful implementation of the plan of action. Follow-up
measures may include providing the subordinate with specific resources and time, periodic assessments of
the plan, and additional referrals. If possible, schedule future meetings before dismissing the subordinate.