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This post is aimed at a habit that Leaders must continually practice. It’s not aimed explaining how to counsel people because everyone has their own way and there are many books and websites out there to help you with that.

In numerous positions that I have held, I was amazed at the lack of effort that manager’s took in regards to counseling. It either never happened or was crammed in the last minute to “check the block” come annual evaluation time. Wrong answer! How can you not take the time to develop your people and let them know where they stand at any given time heading into a performance review?

The pace of operations of any business always seems to “trump” a managers field of vision. It is always bottom line, bottom line. At the end of the day, who is it that is helping you achieve that bottom line? PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE!

This is my biggest pet peeve: Leaders not setting people up for success by counseling them! It does take effort (time), but it’s THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I always made it a point to take the time to counsel the people I Led, both utilizing formal and informal techniques. I had some senior employees that were shocked to see a Leader take the time to properly counsel. My view was how could I not invest my time in coaching and mentoring an organization’s most valuable asset?

Counseling sometimes has a negative connotation attached to it, but in reality it is not and is something that Leaders take a proactive role in. You are setting the people you Lead up for failure in the short and long term if you are not conducting timely counseling.

An example I had to deal with was of a poor performer was passed on from one manager to the next. This person thought they were doing a good job throughout 16 years of employment, but in reality they were never given proper (candid) feedback in each of the positions they held. By the time I was Leading them, it was too late, as they were in denial because of the false feedback they received throughout their career.

A couple of simplistic points to keep in mind:
1. Preparation must go into counseling each person you evaluate.
2. Must provide a candid assessment of performance and WAYS to IMPROVE. It also must be in writing.
3. Milestones must be established leading up to the annual review for feedback.
4. There must be NO distractions during the counseling.
5. *It is NOT a one way conversation. Show them the standard, ensure they have the the necessary tools (resources) to achieve the standard and have them provide their own feedback on performance and ways to improve.

*One of my own personal technique’s I utilized to gain a more accurate assessment of the people I led (besides the regular techniques) was to have the employee themself write their own performance review. Unorthodox, yes, but a technique (Art of Leadership – right?). What this did was allow the employee to think hard about their performance and allow them more “buy in” for developing a plan of action heading into their annual review.

If someone is not acheiving the standard after you have done everything in your power to give them a chance to succeed, then you have to let them go. Never “pass the buck” onto someone else i.e. transfer them to another department. Leader’s must self-reflect and ask the question: “Did I do everything in my power to set my employee up for success?” If the answer is no, well, you have work to do!

If you do this correctly, annual reviews should not come as a shock to anyone because you have established a plan on what excellence looks like and what sub-par performance looks like.

Bottom line: Counseling is NOT a once or twice a year “event”. It is an ongoing, continual process.

© 2009 Ben Larson (aka TheLeaderWay). All Rights Reserved.

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