The Performance
Counseling Session

THE PERFORMANCE COUNSELING SESSION is the most important and often least understood part of informal coaching and the more formal disciplinary process. The success of this meeting between the manager and the employee, in which verbal discussion of the issue takes place, relies on thorough preparation, the delivery of constructive feedback, active listening, and follow-up. Anyone who has effectively conducted such a meeting knows that the time and effort required by these tasks are worthwhile investments. They can mean the difference between resolving the performance issue quickly, right at the start of informal coaching, thus avoiding a move into the more formal disciplinary process.

In this chapter, we will take a look at the session’s purpose, whether you are coaching informally or using the disciplinary process. We will then focus on the more formal disciplinary aspects of:

•   Session preparation, format, and follow-up

•   Handling feedback and reactions to it

•   Working toward commitment to change