Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook

5

Ten Essentials for Face-to-Face Counseling ......................................................

You can defuse the potential for explosive counseling sessions
with basic techniques. Set the stage by understanding
confrontation and having some questions to answer to improve
substandard behavior. You can plan around the guidelines for the
session. Now consider some pressure-reducing steps you can
weave throughout to hold a positive, productive counseling
session.

1. Maintain privacy.


2. Avoid referring to third parties.


3. Minimize interruptions.


4. Avoid distractions.


5. Plan ahead and finish on time.


6. Control your emotions in advance.


7. Establish the facts.


8. Assess probable impact.


9. Seek behavior-related change.


10. Determine minimum performance standards.

Maintain Privacy

This rule will guarantee confidentiality and, ultimately, trust.
Make sure your meeting takes place where doors can be closed.
You may want to consider a location outside the office area.
Assure the team member that your discussion is between you and
him. Ask for that same commitment from your employee.

Avoid Referring to Third Parties as Much as Possible

Third-party references are very risky. (Example: “You know,
so and so said this, so I thought it was time we talked.”) They
imply that you have accepted hearsay before consulting with the
team member who is the object of the information. The bottom
line is that third-party references (even if valid) usually succeed
only in producing defensiveness. 183

The Counselor Role: Confrontation and Correction

Maintaining

privacy will

guarantee

confidentiality.