Performance Counselling
Performance management is a crucial aspect of any organization that aims to
achieve both individual and organizational goals. It involves developing
expected standards of performance, establishing smooth communication
between managers and employees, and continuously measuring actual
performance against pre-set benchmarks. A well-functioning performance
management system ensures that all human resources contribute effectively
to the success of the organization.
The overall success of any organization largely depends on how its
employees perform. Organizations therefore implement performance
management systems to track and enhance employee performance in
alignment with their culture, values, and strategic goals. When an employee
fails to meet these expectations consistently, it raises a performance issue
that must be addressed without delay.
Underperformance, if left unaddressed, can become a norm, thereby harming
not only the individual’s development but also impacting team productivity and
morale. Common indicators of poor performance include consistent failure to
meet targets, shirking responsibilities, and inappropriate workplace behavior. If
these issues are ignored, they can set a dangerous precedent and create a
culture of mediocrity.
In such cases, it is the manager’s responsibility to intervene quickly. Delaying
action may worsen the issue, as poor performance can become habitual or
spread across the team. Addressing performance issues early allows for
timely correction and minimizes disruption.
There are several options available to a manager when dealing with
underperformance. These include issuing verbal or written warnings,
considering termination in extreme or repetitive cases, or adopting a more
developmental approach through performance counselling.
Among these options, performance counselling plays a particularly vital role. It
is a constructive, developmental strategy aimed at helping employees identify
their weaknesses, understand the impact of their performance, and work on
improving it. Counselling provides support and guidance, encouraging
employees to align better with organizational expectations. This method is
also cost-effective, as retaining and developing existing employees is usually
far less expensive than recruiting and training new ones.
Performance Counselling
Performance counselling is an activity that aims at informing an employee the
current level of performance, areas where improvement is required, and ways
to improve the performance. It also strives for an early detection of poor
performance and quick action to arrest the downfall. As the demand of the
hour is to have those people who could exceed the performance expectations
or atleast perform at the minimum expected level. Performance counselling
helps the organization to get these results.
Key Understandings of Performance Counselling:
● It is a proactive strategy adopted by managers to enhance employee
performance.
● It facilitates self-awareness, helping employees gain deeper insight into
their strengths and weaknesses.
● It is typically initiated when an employee displays continuous
underperformance.
● It aims to help employees leverage their strengths to overcome
challenges.
It is essential to understand that performance counselling is not about criticism
or punishment. It is not clinical therapy, nor is it simply giving negative
feedback. Instead, it is a periodic and preventive measure aimed at
maintaining consistent performance and preventing extreme situations.
Components of Performance Counselling:
1. Counsellor – An experienced individual with interpersonal skills and
domain knowledge who guides the employee.
2. Counselee – The employee receiving assistance, who must be willing
to reflect, engage, and take initiative to improve.
3. Situation – A context that justifies the need for counselling, especially
when performance issues persist.
4. Organization – The body that supports the counselling process by
providing necessary resources like time, space, and experts.
Employee Issues and Organizational Consequences: Performance
declines rarely occur without reason. Personal issues like stress, health, or
financial problems may lead to absenteeism, fatigue, interpersonal conflicts, or
even substance abuse. Such issues not only affect the individual but also
increase production costs, reduce team morale, and may result in turnover.
This, in turn, leads to additional costs for recruitment and training.
Objectives of Performance Counselling:
● To enable employee to conduct in independent SWOT analysis.
● To improve the competence level of employees.
● To help an employee in realising his true potential in the organization
● To provide a comprehensive understanding of environment within which
performance has to be delivered.
● To enable an employee to get better insight about the personal
behaviours and their implications on performance.
● To develop a better perspective towards alternatives for handling a
performance related issue.
● To provide constructive feedback about the weak areas of
performance.
● To provide assistance in reviewing the current path of growth with
possible outcomes.
Types of Performance Counselling
Performance counselling can be classified based on the level of involvement
of the counsellor and the counselee. These types exist on a continuum, with
one end involving full control by the counsellor and the other led entirely by
the employee. The method chosen depends on the context, the personalities
involved, and the goals of the counselling process. The three major types are:
1. Directive Counselling
In directive counselling, the counsellor takes complete charge of the
session. The counselee plays a passive role and is mainly expected to
listen and follow instructions. This type focuses on telling, advising,
guiding, and reassuring the employee about the steps needed to
improve performance. It is helpful when the employee is unclear about
what to do or lacks the initiative or knowledge to act independently.
2. Non-Directive Counselling
This approach is the opposite of directive counselling. Here, the
counselee actively leads the session by expressing their own thoughts,
performance challenges, efforts made, and ideas for improvement. The
counsellor’s role is to listen patiently, provide encouragement, and
reinforce correct efforts. This method gives full responsibility to the
employee, helping them take ownership of their actions and results. It is
most effective when the employee is self-aware, motivated, and open to
reflection.
3. Participative Counselling
Participative counselling is a balanced approach that combines
elements of both directive and non-directive styles. It fosters mutual
dialogue between the counsellor and the counselee, allowing both to
share their perspectives. This collaboration leads to jointly developed
solutions to performance problems. While directive counselling may feel
restrictive and non-directive counselling demands highly skilled
counsellors, participative counselling strikes a practical middle ground.
Its success depends on the effective communication, experience, and
involvement of both parties.
Situations Appropriate for Feedback and Counselling
Feedback and counselling play a crucial role in enhancing employee
performance. While feedback is generally informal and may take place
through casual conversations or performance discussions, counselling is a
more structured and formal process. Counselling is typically required when
feedback alone fails to bring about the desired change in performance. Below
are key situations when feedback and counselling are most appropriate:
● During Probation Period: New employees often require feedback and
counselling to align their performance with organizational expectations.
● After Performance Appraisal: Feedback and counselling are important
parts of the appraisal process, helping employees understand their
performance gaps and ways to improve.
● Post Promotion or Role Change: Employees taking on new
responsibilities need support and guidance to meet the demands of the
new role effectively.
● Continuous Decline in Performance: When an employee consistently
underperforms, it becomes necessary to move from feedback to formal
counselling.
● Consistently Good Performance: Counselling can also be used to
provide positive reinforcement and encouragement to maintain high
performance.
● After Resolving an Issue: Providing counselling and positive feedback
after a problem has been solved can boost morale and increase
employee commitment.
Conditions for Effective Counselling
To ensure counselling is effective and yields positive results, certain conditions
must be met within the organization. These include:
● Culture of Open Communication: Departments should promote a free
flow of communication to easily identify performance-related issues.
● Climate of Trust and Honesty: A trustworthy relationship between the
counsellor and counselee encourages openness and genuine
participation.
● Mutual Respect and Understanding: Both parties should be willing to
listen to and respect each other's viewpoints, facilitating productive
dialogue.
● Active Involvement of Both Parties: Successful counselling requires
initiative and involvement from both the counsellor and the counselee.
● Focus on Work-Related Behaviour: Counselling should concentrate
on work performance rather than personal issues, although personal
problems may be acknowledged.
● Avoidance of Performance-Based Rewards: Counselling should not
be linked to incentives. Its purpose is developmental, aiming to help
employees improve for long-term success rather than immediate
rewards.
Performance Counselling – Outcome Options
Performance counselling is designed to support employee growth while also
ensuring organizational efficiency. The process unfolds in stages, depending
on the employee’s response and willingness to improve:
1. Initial Informal Discussion:
○ Manager first ensures that the underperformance is not due to
systemic issues or lack of resources.
○ A fact-based informal conversation is held with the employee to
discuss the concerns.
○ Purpose: To alert the employee and encourage behavioural
change without formal consequences.
2. First Formal Counselling Session:
○ If performance does not improve, a formal warning is issued.
○ The reasons for underperformance are discussed in a structured
manner.
○ The employee is given a chance to present their side.
○ Documentation of the session begins.
○ Consequences of further poor performance are explained.
3. Second Formal Counselling Session:
○ If there’s still no improvement, a second warning is issued.
○ Manager offers further assistance and informs higher authorities
about the issue.
○ This stage still aims at helping the employee recover.
4. Final Warning:
○ Issued if the performance continues to lag.
○ Employee is warned about possible termination due to
non-compliance with performance standards.
5. Termination:
○ If no change is observed despite all support and warnings, the
employee is formally terminated.
○ Termination is considered a last resort after all counselling efforts
have failed.
Essential Counselling Skills
For performance counselling to be truly effective, managers or counsellors
need to possess a specific skill set. These include:
1. Communication Skills:
○ Enables clear exchange of expectations and feedback.
○ Vital for building trust and avoiding misunderstandings.
○ Listening skills are especially crucial in non-directive counselling.
2. Motivational Skills:
○ Ability to uplift and encourage the employee.
○ Use of positive reinforcement and constructive feedback can
inspire employees to do better.
3. Analytical Skills:
○ Helps assess root causes of performance issues.
○ Allows the manager to suggest practical, personalized
alternatives for improvement.
○ Critical in identifying the employee’s strengths to counteract
weaknesses.
4. Interpersonal Skills:
○ Builds an empathetic connection with the employee.
○ Facilitates a trusting and emotionally safe environment.
○ Essential for navigating the emotional aspects of performance
issues.
Conclusion
In essence, performance counselling is a structured and
developmental intervention aimed at enhancing employee performance,
bridging performance gaps, and aligning individual efforts with
organizational goals. It goes beyond mere feedback, providing a formal
platform to address recurring or serious performance issues through
mutual understanding and problem-solving.
Counselling is appropriate in various situations such as probation, role
transitions, performance appraisals, continuous underperformance, or
even after a crisis has been resolved. For counselling to be truly
effective, organizations must foster an open and honest culture, where
employees feel safe to express themselves, and where the focus
remains on work-related behavior rather than personal shortcomings or
monetary rewards.
The counselling process follows a progressive model—from informal
discussions to formal sessions and, if necessary, termination—always
giving the employee ample opportunity and support to improve. This
ensures fairness and objectivity.
To achieve successful outcomes, managers must be equipped with
essential counselling skills—effective communication, motivation,
analytical thinking, and strong interpersonal abilities. These skills help in
building trust, identifying root causes of underperformance, and
collaboratively developing improvement strategies.
Ultimately, performance counselling is not just about correcting
mistakes—it is about empowering employees to reach their potential,
increasing organizational productivity, and building a positive,
growth-oriented workplace culture.
Performance Feedback
Detailed Notes: Performance Management Cycle and Feedback
🌟 Performance Management Cycle (PMC)
The Performance Management Cycle is a strategic and systematic
process aimed at improving organizational effectiveness by aligning
individual performance with the broader organizational goals. It involves
multiple stages, including setting clear expectations, continuous review
and feedback, and performance appraisal and reward.
1. Setting Goals and Expectations
● Clarification of Responsibilities: It is crucial for employees to
have a clear understanding of their job responsibilities, the tasks
they need to complete, and the expected behaviors and skills.
● Alignment with Organizational Goals: Individual goals must be
aligned with departmental and overall organizational objectives.
This alignment ensures everyone is working in the same direction.
● SMART Goals:
○ Specific: Clear and unambiguous.
○ Measurable: Quantifiable to track progress.
○ Achievable: Realistic given available resources.
○ Relevant: Pertinent to the organizational mission.
○ Time-bound: Defined timelines for achievement.
2. Ongoing Review, Feedback, and Coaching
● Ensuring Accountability: Managers should continuously monitor
if employees are achieving their targets and following the expected
behavioral standards.
● Timely Feedback: Providing feedback as close as possible to the
observed behavior ensures relevance and maximizes impact.
● Constructive Engagement: Coaching should be focused on
helping employees overcome performance barriers, develop skills,
and improve productivity.
● Dealing with Underperformance: Supervisors need to act
promptly to correct poor performance through supportive feedback,
counseling, or training.
3. Appraisal and Reward
● Annual Performance Reviews: A formal review process is
essential to assess employee contributions. It should be thorough,
well-documented, and consistent.
● Fair and Objective Evaluation: Performance appraisals must be
based on pre-established criteria. Biases and favoritism should be
actively avoided.
● Recognition and Reward: High-performing employees should be
acknowledged through rewards, promotions, or development
opportunities, which boosts motivation and reinforces desired
behavior.
Giving & Receiving Feedback
Feedback is an essential communication tool in the workplace that
informs employees about their performance, clarifies expectations,
builds trust, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
Purpose of Feedback
● Enhances performance and productivity
● Clarifies role expectations
● Reduces the chances of miscommunication
● Builds stronger manager-employee relationships
Positive Feedback
● Appropriate When: Work meets or surpasses expectations.
● Benefits:
○ Reinforces good behavior and performance
○ Increases employee morale and confidence
○ Encourages creativity and innovation
○ Strengthens the employee-manager relationship
Example: "The budget estimates you presented were very detailed and
helped us make better decisions."
Developmental (Constructive) Feedback
● Appropriate When: There's a need to improve behavior or
performance.
● Benefits:
○ Helps employees identify blind spots
○ Fosters self-awareness and accountability
○ Motivates skill enhancement and behavioral change
Example: "The event budget lacked some details, which delayed
decisions. Let’s discuss how you can ensure complete info next time."
Roles in Feedback Process
Role Responsibilities
Staff Self-monitor performance, proactively seek
Member feedback, act on input
Superviso Offer regular, precise, and constructive feedback
r
Shared Build a feedback culture through trust and mutual
agreements
Institution Promote a safe and consistent environment for
open feedback
Feedback Framework (4-Step Process)
1. State Your Expectations
○ Clearly define the standards, goals, or desired behaviors.
2. Describe Your Observations
○ Objectively explain what was seen or heard without
assumptions.
3. Share Your Assessment
○ Evaluate the impact or result of the action on work or team
dynamics.
4. Explain the Consequence
○ Acknowledge achievements or suggest specific areas for
improvement.
Case Examples
● Jerry (Positive Feedback):
○ Helped manage a difficult customer despite being new.
○ Shows patience, initiative, and team spirit.
● Susan (Constructive Feedback):
○ Her emails were too lengthy and unstructured.
○ Needs coaching on clarity and brevity in communication.
Common Feedback Pitfalls
● Postponing feedback for too long
● Ignoring consistent but moderate behaviors
● Avoiding difficult conversations
● Making comparisons among employees
● Failing to listen actively
● Assuming mutual understanding
● Providing vague or unsubstantiated criticism
Handling Reactions to Feedback
● Listen and Empathize: Acknowledge feelings and show
understanding.
● Be Specific and Honest: Base discussions on facts.
● Stay on Topic: Avoid diversions and maintain focus.
● Support and Encourage: Offer help in making improvements.
Managerial Courage in Feedback
● Avoiding feedback due to fear of reaction leads to long-term
damage.
● Managers must be courageous to speak the truth, with tact and
care.
● Being open, timely, and sincere builds credibility and trust.
● Constructive feedback should be a routine part of work culture.
Feedback Checklist
As a Supervisor:
● Are your expectations clear and measurable?
● Do you provide timely and relevant feedback?
● Are you avoiding conflict or uncomfortable conversations?
● Do your comments focus on facts rather than personal opinions?
As a Staff Member:
● Do you actively seek feedback?
● Do you receive it openly or defensively?
● Do you apply the feedback in your work?
● Do you follow up to ensure improvement?
Guidelines for Feedback Success
1. Deliver feedback promptly, close to the behavior.
2. Be honest about your purpose for giving feedback.
3. Create a two-way dialogue.
4. Confirm understanding and agreement.
5. Don’t rely solely on forms—have real conversations.
6. Remain calm and professional.
7. Respect individual preferences and personality types.
Tips for Receiving Feedback
1. Request feedback regularly and show appreciation.
2. Stay open and assume good intent.
3. Ask clarifying questions to fully understand.
4. Reflect before reacting.
5. Express gratitude, even for tough feedback.
