1. Manage People Performance RAF 1 Managing the Counselling Process Manage People Performance

2. Manage People Performance RAF2 Performance discussion vs counselling discussion  Performance discussions are concerned with total performance of the team or individual – refers to good and bad aspects of performance and how performance standards are being met.  Counselling discussions usually relate to one aspect of unsatisfactory performance

3. Manage People Performance RAF3  Poor performance improves staff member acknowledges that there is a problem  Solutions to problems are developed  Employee takes some action and gets professional help  Improvement plan strategies developed (employee agreement)  Employee leaves the organisation Outcomes of counselling discussion

4. Manage People Performance RAF4 If you discover that there legitimate reasons for problems several strategies might be developed:  Review of workloads- bottlenecks  Review of procedures and processes  Team building and cooperation  Provide mentoring, coaching, skills development  Provide assistance, or reassign duties

5. Manage People Performance RAF5 Counselling checklist - Before  Assess the situation. Establish in what way the person's performance does not meet the required standard. e.g. timeliness, quantity of output, standard of written work, etc.  You should also ensure that these standards are applied equitably across your work area. Gather factual information to support your assessment, including specific examples if possible.

6. Manage People Performance RAF6  Arrange a venue suitable bearing in mind the need for confidentiality.  Notify the person of the arrangements, giving them sufficient time to prepare for the discussion, including, where possible, sufficient time to arrange for a support person to be present. Depending on circumstances, provide them with copies of any relevant written material you intend to discuss.

7. Manage People Performance RAF7 During  Explain the reason for the counselling.  Explore the possible relevance of factors outside the workplace. You should bear in mind that a person may, for a variety of reasons, choose not to disclose such factors, in which case you can only base your assessment on available evidence.  Advise the person what (if any) records are to be kept and for what purpose they will be used.

8. Manage People Performance RAF8  focus on work-related issues;  be constructive; look to the future and means of improvement;  communicate  Agree on a plan of action.  Agree on a timetable for implementing that action and reviewing the results.

9. Manage People Performance RAF9 After  Make a record of the discussion. If the record is more substantial than a diary note, include any action agreed upon and time frames.  Invite the person to sign the record if they agree with the content or to make comments or submit their own version of the meeting if they do not. Keep the record in a secure place.

10. Manage People Performance RAF10  Follow up on any action which has been agreed upon, either by undertaking action yourself (i.e. assisting with on-the- job training or exploring training opportunities) or monitoring and reviewing action to which the person has agreed.