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Supervisors often avoid conducting counseling sessions with employees
because the supervisors anticipate, sometimes correctly, that the
session will be unpleasant. Most individuals simply do not enjoy
confronting other individuals with judgments about performance. As is
true of most people, supervisors have a need to be liked by members of
the social groups with which they are associated. Counseling can disrupt
the personal relationships within such groups. The supervisor often
anticipates that this will occur, imagining that the subordinate will
react to the session with hostility, or withdraw during the interview
into a shell and thereafter ignore the supervisor's presence except when
given direct orders. Such reactions by subordinates are not uncommon,
causing the supervisor to avoid the discussion altogether.
Avoiding the discussion, however, will only result in the problem and
the potential confrontation becoming worse. Counseling is an
indispensable aspect of a supervisor's job which, if accomplished
effectively, and early at onset of performance problems can resolve
problems in a positive manner and ultimately help to strengthen the
relationship between the supervisor and the subordinate.
It would be dishonest to assure any supervisor that there are techniques
which will avoid the unpleasant aspects of counseling in every case.
Like any aspect of supervision, counseling involves authority over and
responsibility for the actions of other employees. It is precisely this
authority over others' behavior that produces the potential conflict;
however, such conflict can be minimized.
Supervisors considering counseling who are uncertain how to proceed or
who face what they believe might be a difficult or sensitive issue
should not hesitate to seek advice and assistance from their supervisor
or
Human Resource
Management. Understanding how to conduct
a counseling session will help supervisors feel confident and calm
during that meeting and better prepared to handle conflicts or questions
that may arise. There are numerous supervisory training courses
available which can provide useful skills and tips for communicating
with employees. |
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