Performance Counselling

1. Performance Counselling

2. Performance Counselling • ‘’Counselling is a supportive process conducted by a manager to help define & work through personal problems or organisational changes that affects job performance’’. • Performance counselling is a manager- initiated strategy for improving employee’s performance

3. Performance Counselling • For effective performance counselling, Managers must do the following. • Encourage the employee. • Ask for an input & listen to the employee’s ideas. • Solve problem with employees. • Be positive & enthusiastic. • Check with the person everyday. • Give regular praise.

4. Counselling for performance improvement • PERSONAL PROBLEMS • Career • Family • financial • health • Legal • PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS • Absenteeism • Tardiness • Drug abuse • Interpersonal conflict • Poor Job performance • ORGANISATIONAL CONSEQUENCES • Increased production costs. • Increased employee turnover. • Interpersonal conflict. • Low morale.

5. Principles of performance counselling • Strengthening communication between manager & the employee. • Making the employee understand performance level exhibited by him. • Involving the employee. • Enabling the employee to identify elements that contributed to success. • Helping the employees to attain performance objectives. • Motivating the employees for gaining commitment to improve performance. • Maintaining & increasing the employees self-esteem. • Providing support, guidance & resources. • Encouraging the employee to learn. • Focussing on behaviour, not personality. • Using reinforcement techniques to shape behaviour. • Reposing trust & confidence in employees. • Documenting the discussion.

6. Measures to support peformance counselling process • Giving more managerial time to performance counselling. • Clarify work goals & help provide resources & skills in order to enable employees meet job expectation. • Focus on employee development on an ongoing basis. • Emphasize positive vibes. • Increase two way communication.

7. Performance counselling skills Performance counselling skills Active listening Responding Questioning

8. Performance counselling skills • Active listening. • Employee’s message. • Eye contact. • Body posture. • Head nods. • Facial expressions. • Expressions • Boredom • Self confidence • Defensiveness • Frustration • Openness & Anxiety • Responding . • Questioning.

9. Writing a Counseling Memo • In several ways, writing a counseling memo is not dissimilar from conducting the counseling session itself. • First, a counseling memo is a summary of the counseling session which should be addressed and delivered (or sent) to the employee. • Second, the memo should be similar in tone to the session. It should not be punitive. In this respect, it should not be characterized as a disciplinary notice or letter of reprimand, it is neither.

10. Writing a Counseling Memo • When writing a counseling memo, the following guidelines should be followed: • Write the memo to the employee. • Be concise and clear. • The memo is a summary of your counseling session. Include the following sections: • A statement of the reason for and the date, time, and place of the meeting. Be as complete as possible in describing the problem. • The employee's response to your concerns. This is important as it demonstrates to the employee that you were actually listening during the counseling session. • The manner in which the employee is expected to improve performance. Also clearly provide your expectations for future performance or behavior. • Provisions for follow-up consultations, if any. • If situation warrants, recommend Employee Assistance Program to employee to handle personal problem interfering with work performance or behavior. • Do not include other matters in the memo which were not discussed during the session.

11. Writing a Counseling Memo • Do not characterize the memo as discipline or as a penalty. • The tone of the memo should be supportive and factual. Avoid labels or conclusive language. Do not write it in a punitive or derogatory manner. Avoid inflammatory language. • Show on the memo the names of those persons who will receive a copy of the memo. Also make sure to indicate right on the memo that a copy will be place in their personnel file. • The memo should not be widely distributed. Generally, only individuals who absolutely need to know would be copied. Supervisors should consult HRM for policy regarding distribution.