Conducting performance counselling involves the steps shown in the figure given below:
1. Development of Rapport between Employee and Manager: At the initial stage, the rapport between the employee and his manager is developed so that there is open and free communication between them.
The rapport between the employee and the manager can be developed by building trust, mutual respect, and empathy—all these results in bringing the employee and the manager together by heart.
2. Exploring Information About Performance: At this stage, the manager, with the help of the employee, explores the employee’s current performance, his strengths, and weaknesses, particularly the key ones and his key job requirements.
The basic objective is to stimulate the employee to define himself in the light of job content and context.
3. Defining Future Goals: Once the employee assesses his strengths and weaknesses, the manager tries to make him realize what his problems are and to make a realistic assessment of the nature of these problems.
Though there may be some contextual problems, often people tend to attribute their shortcomings to external reasons only.
The assessment of the problems in a real perspective helps to understand their real cause.
Based on the understanding of the problems, the manager helps the employee in setting his performance goals more realistically.
4. Drawing Action Plans: The manager helps the employee to draw action plans that would result in continuous performance improvement.
The pros and cons of each action plan are evaluated and weighed, and the most appropriate action plan is selected for step-by-step execution with a timetable.
The execution of the action plan is monitored by the employee himself, and progress made is shared with the manager. The action plan is reviewed periodically with the help of the manager to take corrective action if required.