We have already read about Performance Appraisal. With the help of appraisal, we find the good, the bad and the ugly related to the performance of the individual employees of the organization. What after finding them? We need to provide proper feedback through appropriate communication channels and counsel the employees according to their performance. The process is known as performance counseling.
Performance Counseling
This is a process to help employees to spot their weaknesses and improve upon that. It is checked if they are lagging behind some set standards of performance. If they are found lagging, they are provided with training and support according to their situation.
Performance counseling is very helpful to employees in various manners. It helps them to understand their strengths and weaknesses, the room for improvement. The feedback about their behavior helps them to understand their professional persona in a better way. It also helps them to set new goals for self-improvement in order to become more efficient in what they do.
Process of Performance Counseling
Feedback
- Timely feedback for their actions
- Continuous feedback
- Verifiable feedback
- Descriptive feedback rather putting allegations
Pre Interview Preparation
- Prepare about employee’s personal details like age, place, education, skills, etc
- Focus on the strengths first and then move to what is lacking
- Make sure both parties understand the work/skill for which counseling is being performed
- Give proper notice before a counseling session
- Take notes
Interview
- Try to be as friendly as possible
- Ask his/her plans to improve, if necessary tell your plans too
- Review the progress from the last session and appreciate that
- Take notes, what has been improved, what needs more attention