1. Develop Subordinate Leaders Through Effective Counseling
SSI Noncommissioned Officer Academy Senior Leaders Course
Develop Subordinate Leaders
Through Effective Counseling
Concrete Experience (Role Play exercise from FM )
Today's Army demands effective counseling. Due to the complexity of equipment, diversity of personnel and organizational structure, we have unique challenges. To overcome these problems, a leader has talent, experience and the desire to succeed. Leaders help soldiers solve their problems by guiding them to a workable solution through effective counseling. Leaders in a company-level organization have a responsibility to ensure that the unit has an effective counseling program. This responsibility does not lie solely in the hands of the first sergeant or company commander. All leaders must counsel their subordinates. Counseling is so important it should be on the training schedule to ensure sufficient time is available to do it.
The Army's values of Loyalty, Duty and Selfless Service require us to counsel. The Army's values of Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage also require us to give straightforward feedback and the Army's value of Respect requires us to find the best way to communicate that feedback.
Senior NCOs must understand the effects of counseling on the organization and seek to improve the unit counseling program. In order to develop and maintain an effective program, it is imperative that you understand the tenets of effective counseling. During this lesson, you will review the basics of counseling which you first learned as a junior leader. You will then learn how counseling affects organizations and how you can develop an effective counseling program within your organization.

2. The Counseling Session
CONCRETE EXPERIENCE
The Counseling Session
Concrete Experience (Role Play exercise from FM )
Today's Army demands effective counseling. Due to the complexity of equipment, diversity of personnel and organizational structure, we have unique challenges. To overcome these problems, a leader has talent, experience and the desire to succeed. Leaders help soldiers solve their problems by guiding them to a workable solution through effective counseling. Leaders in a company-level organization have a responsibility to ensure that the unit has an effective counseling program. This responsibility does not lie solely in the hands of the first sergeant or company commander. All leaders must counsel their subordinates. Counseling is so important it should be on the training schedule to ensure sufficient time is available to do it.
The Army's values of Loyalty, Duty and Selfless Service require us to counsel. The Army's values of Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage also require us to give straightforward feedback and the Army's value of Respect requires us to find the best way to communicate that feedback.
Senior NCOs must understand the effects of counseling on the organization and seek to improve the unit counseling program. In order to develop and maintain an effective program, it is imperative that you understand the tenets of effective counseling. During this lesson, you will review the basics of counseling which you first learned as a junior leader. You will then learn how counseling affects organizations and how you can develop an effective counseling program within your organization.
Role Play Exercise

3. Learning Objective
ACTION: Develop Subordinate Leaders through Effective Counseling
Conditions: Senior HR Leaders in a classroom environment working individually and as a member of a small group, using doctrinal and administrative publications, practical exercises, case studies, personal experience, handouts, and discussion with an awareness of the Operational Environment (OE) variables and actors.
Standard: Analysis includes:
1. Principles of leader development.
2. Role of the leader as a counselor
3. Sustaining or improving a unit counseling program.

4. Our Greatest Resource
We have the best doctrine, the best training and the best equipment in the world - but our people are the Army's greatest resource.
FM , The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide
As leaders, we capitalize on the Army’s greatest investment - “Our People” by providing purpose, direction, and motivation. To do this, leaders at all level must invest the time and energy into developing effective counseling and professional development.
Leaders conduct counseling to develop soldiers to achieve personal, professional development and organizational goals, and to prepare them for increased responsibilities. Leaders are responsible for developing their soldiers. Unit readiness and mission accomplishment depend on every member's ability to perform to established standards. Supervisors must develop their subordinates through teaching, coaching and counseling. Leaders coach soldiers the same way any sports coach improves their team: by identifying weaknesses, setting goals, developing and implementing a plan of action and providing oversight and motivation throughout the process. To be effective coaches, leaders must thoroughly understand the strengths, weaknesses and professional goals of their soldiers.
Leaders counsel because it is their duty and the primary tool in developing future leaders. For their counseling to be effective they must be honest and have the personal courage to give straightforward feedback. Through respect for the individual, leaders find the best way to communicate that guidance. Senior NCOs should develop the counseling skills of their subordinate leaders.
Leaders who invest in developing their unit counseling program are investing in the future of their subordinates and their unit.

5. How Leaders Develop Leadership develops when:
The individual desires to improve and
invests effort
His/her superior supports development
Refer students to ADP 6-22, para 39 – 40
Leadership—and increased proficiency in leadership—can be developed. Fundamentally, leadership develops when the individual desires to improve and invests effort, when his or her superior supports development, and when the organizational climate values learning. Learning to be a leader requires knowledge of leadership, experience using this knowledge and feedback. Formal systems such as evaluation reports, academic evaluation reports, and 360o assessments offer opportunities to learn—but the individual must embrace the opportunity and internalize the information. The fastest learning occurs when there are challenging and interesting opportunities to practice leadership with meaningful and honest feedback and multiple practice opportunities. These elements contribute to self-learning, developing others and setting a climate conducive to learning.
Leader development involves recruiting, accessing, developing, assigning, promoting, broadening, and retaining the best leaders, while challenging them over time with greater responsibility, authority and accountability. Army leaders assume progressively broader responsibilities across direct, organizational and strategic levels of leadership. Military leadership is unique because the armed forces grow their own leaders from the lowest to highest levels. The Army entrusts leaders to develop professionally and be ready to accept greater responsibility when called upon.
The organizational climate values learning

6. Principles of Leader Development
Lead by Example
Develop Subordinate Leaders
Create a Learning Environment
Train in the Art and Science of Mission Command
ADP 7-0, Para 35 – 40
Leaders follow the principles of leader development to develop other leaders.
The institutional training provide leaders with enough fundamental information to help them contribute to unit collective capabilities on the day they arrive in the unit.
However, most leader development occurs during operational assignments. In operational assignments, leaders learn to adapt to new situations and develop on the
job through training and education. More significantly, they develop through challenging, unfamiliar experiences that require them to adapt theory to reality. They
learn through regular and as-needed feedback. They learn from their mistakes. They learn to take risks and experiment with non-textbook solutions to problems. They learn
what they do not know and fill the gaps through self-development. Operational assignments are the test of leader development.
Train to Develop Adaptive Leaders
Train Leaders to Think Critically and Creatively

7. Demonstrating Care for People
Fosters teamwork, cohesion, cooperation, and loyalty
Encourages subordinates to exercise initiative
Encourages fairness and inclusiveness
Demonstrates care for follower well-being
Encourages open and candid communications
Anticipates people’s on-the-job-needs
ADRP 6-22, para 7-31
Leaders who keep the well-being of their subordinates in mind create greater trust. Leaders who
respect those with whom they work will likely garner respect in return.
“Soldiers don’t care what you know until they know you care.”
How do you feel about this statement?
How does effective counseling demonstrate “care” for your Soldiers?
Have you ever had a leader that did not care about his/her Soldiers? If so, how did that make you feel?
Leaders establish and maintain positive expectations and attitudes to support effective work behaviors and healthy relationships. Leaders improve the organization while accomplishing missions. They should leave the organization better than it was when they arrived. Simple actions can demonstrate respect and care, such as listening patiently or addressing Families’ needs. Regular sensing of morale and actively seeking honest feedback about the health of the organization indicate care.
Note: Have the students give examples of how they can demonstrate
Creates a learning environment
Sets and maintains high expectations

8. What is Counseling?
Counseling is a type of communication that leaders use to empower Soldiers to achieve goals.
Refer students to ATP Chapter 1
To best understand the value of counseling it is best to first understand its definition. Counseling is a type of communication that leaders use to empower soldiers to achieve goals. It is much more than providing feedback or direction. It is communication aimed at developing a soldier's ability to achieve individual and unit goals. Soldiers want to be counseled and will respond to counseling because they want to know what it takes to be successful in today's Army. Regardless of your leadership position, your soldiers see you as successful simply because you have achieved the level they are striving to accomplish. Leaders must provide each of their soldiers with the best possible road map to success. Counseling is one of the most important leadership development responsibilities for Army leaders. The Army’s future and the legacy of today’s Army leaders rests on the shoulders of those they help prepare for greater responsibility.

9. The Leader as a Counselor
Purpose
Flexibility
Respect
ATP , para 2-3
Caring and empathic Army leaders conduct counseling to help subordinates become better team members, maintain or improve performance, and prepare for the future. They
assist their subordinates in identifying strengths and weaknesses and creating plans of action. Once an individual development plan is agreed upon, they support their them throughout the plan implementation and continued assessment. While it is not easy to address every possible counseling situation, leader self-awareness and an adaptable counseling style focusing on key characteristics will enhance personal effectiveness as a counselor. These key characteristics include:
- Purpose: Clearly define the purpose of the counseling.
- Flexibility: Fit the counseling style to the character of each subordinate and to the relationship desired.
- Respect: View subordinates as unique, complex individuals, each with a distinct set of values, beliefs, and attitudes.
- Communication: Establish open, two-way communication with subordinates using spoken language, nonverbal actions, gestures, and body language. Effective counselors listen more than they speak.
Support: Encourage subordinates through actions while guiding them through their problems.
What are some specific things you can do as a leader to demonstrate the characteristics above?
Communication
Support

10. 4 Stage Counseling Process
Identify the need
Stage 2:
Prepare for Counseling
Stage 3:
Conduct the Counseling
Reference ATP , Para 2-24 thru 2-50 and Table 2-2
Stage 4:
Follow Up

11. Professional Growth Counseling
Identify the Need
Event
Counseling
Instances of superior or substandard performance
Reception and integration counseling
Crisis counseling
Referral counseling
Promotion counseling
Separation counseling
Performance
Counseling
Review subordinate’s duty performance
Jointly establish performance objectives
Focus on future
Communicates standards
Reference ATP , para 2-25 and para 2-26
Professional Growth Counseling
Accomplishment of individual and professional goal
Review strengths and weaknesses
Develop “pathway to success”
Develop individual development plan

12. Prepare for Counseling
Select a suitable place
Schedule the time
Notify the subordinate well in advance
Organize information
Outline the counseling session components
Plan the counseling strategy
Establish the right atmosphere
Reference ATP 6-22, para 2-27 thru para 2-39

13. Conduct the Counseling
Opening the session
Discussing the issues
Developing a plan of action
Recording and closing the session
Follow-Up
Support plan of action implementation
Assess the plan of action
Provide teaching, coaching and mentoring
Reference ATP 6-22, para 2-40 thru para 2-50

14. Counseling Program Elements
Education
And
Training
Experience
Continued Support From Army and Leaders
Enforcement
Refer to FM , page 5-5
Four elements are essential to the creation of an effective counseling program:
Education and Training: Institutional and in units, through mentorship and self-development. The Army must first provide a base line of education to its soldiers to "show what right looks like." The Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) has the primary responsibility to educate the NCO Corps on counseling. However, NCOES cannot accomplish this alone. Unit NCO Development Programs can and must conduct training workshops to provide that base of education of what right looks like to our junior leaders.
Experience: Learn by doing coupled with guidance from more senior leaders. After initial education and training, all leaders must put their skills to use. NCOs must practice counseling while at the same time receiving guidance and mentoring on how to improve counseling techniques.
Continued support from both the Army and leaders: The Army's Counseling Website ( other NCO professional development websites, FM 6-22 , Appendix B and leaders (through spot checks and random monitoring of counseling sessions) provide the necessary support and critiques that will improve a young leader's counseling skills.
Enforcement: Once NCOs have the tools (both education and support) necessary for quality counseling, leaders must hold them accountable to ensure acceptable counseling standards for both frequency and content. This is accomplished through some type of compliance program on unit inspections. Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.

15. Unit Counseling Program Should
Strengthen the Chain of Command
Clarify policies and procedures
Reinforce standards
Prevent rumors
Praise success
Avoid surprises
Develop responsible subordinates

16. Action Plan Hold an initial meeting with your key leaders
Explain what a leader development program is and the goal of your unit development program
Explain the process of leader development - use “real world” examples to reinforce the point that this is a continuous process
Involve your subordinate leaders in the identification of METL
Involve your subordinate leaders in the development of a leader book
Here are some things you can do to develop your action plan.
Hold an initial meeting with your key leaders
Explain what a leader development program is and the goal of your unit development program
Explain the process of leader development - use “real world” examples to reinforce the point that this is a continuous process
Involve your subordinate leaders in the identification of METL
Involve your subordinate leaders in the development of a leader book
“Leadership is a lifelong learning process for Army leaders, but action is its essence.” This also includes the increase in responsibility that leaders have for the development of their subordinate leaders, this will be the basis for the continued success of the organization. Leaders must take responsibility for the future Army leaders serving as a catalyst for their success. Your legacy and the Army’s future rests on the shoulders of those you prepare for greater responsibility.

17. A to Z Review A N B O C P D Q E R F S G T H U I V J W K X L Y M Z

18. Learning Objective
ACTION: Develop Subordinate Leaders through Effective Counseling
Conditions: Senior HR Leaders in a classroom environment working individually and as a member of a small group, using doctrinal and administrative publications, practical exercises, case studies, personal experience, handouts, and discussion.
Standard: Analysis includes:
1. Principles of leader development.
2. Role of the leader as a counselor
3. Sustaining or improving a unit counseling program.