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In the workplace, counseling is a discussion between a supervisor and
an employee about an employee's performance. The discussion may focus on
a specific incident, a particular aspect of an employee's performance
which the supervisor has identified as in need of improvement, or in
some instances, the employee's overall performance or behavior. The
goals of the discussion are:
- to communicate the supervisor's concerns to the employee
- to determine the cause of the employee's actions
- to identify avenues for improvement and/or development
- to improve the employee's performance
Counseling is a positive and constructive supervisory tool. Because
it involves face-to-face communication between the supervisor and the
employee, it is the most direct and the most efficient means available
to a supervisor to have a positive impact on the performance of an
employee.
Unfortunately, the terms “counseling” and “counseling memo” have become
sensitive terms which stimulate strong reactions in both supervisors and
employees. One reason for this is that counseling is often mistaken for
discipline.
Counseling is not discipline. The primary difference
between counseling and discipline is that counseling attempts to correct
performance issues through the use of face-to-face communication and
problem solving, while discipline attempts to do so through the
imposition of a penalty. For most types of performance short comings, a
supervisor should attempt to first deal with the issues through
counseling.
Disciplinary actions should be considered only when counseling fails.
Certainly, there are circumstances which require immediate disciplinary
action. These include, but are not limited to, illegal, unethical,
dishonest or highly inappropriate activities such as patient abuse,
verbal or physical assault, accepting a bribe, insubordination, or theft
or destruction of state-owned property. Supervisors confronted with such
serious violations should immediately consult with
Human Resource
Management.
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