COUNSELING: Limitations & Resistance

ATP 6-22.1 is a relatively short publication by Army standards. But it could be one of the most influential in the Army’s doctrinal arsenal. Counseling is how leaders transform struggling Soldiers into high performers.

And, unfortunately, it can also be the way to law the foundation for their exit from the service. But, it’s important that it’s done right. Eight paragraphs are dedicated to outlining good counseling practices with specific focus on overcoming challenges – including the cousnelors own limitations.

As always, italics added for our emphasis, and […] indicates we cut out stuff we thought was fluff. And, as always: you’re smarter reading the publication yourself to be exactly sure

The major takeaways:

COUNSELING PRACTICES

Competent leaders avoid:

• Rash judgments

• Stereotyping

• Losing emotional control

• Inflexible counseling methods, or improper follow-up.

Leaders should be open to new ideas and thoughts.

Effective counseling sessions follow these general guidelines:

• Determine the subordinate’s role in the situation and what has been done to resolve the issue.

• Focus attention on the subordinate […] Understand what the subordinate says and feels.

• Encourage the subordinate to take the initiative and speak aloud.

• Remain objective

• Display empathy when discussing the issue. Be receptive to the subordinate’s emotions.

• Ask open-ended questions for relevant information; avoid interrogation.

• Listen more and talk less; avoid interrupting.

• Keep personal experiences out of the counseling session.

• Draw conclusions based on all available information, not just the subordinate’s statement.

• Enable the subordinate to help himself or herself.

• Know what information to keep confidential and what to present to the chain of command, if necessary.

ACCEPTING LIMITATIONS

• Army leaders cannot help everyone in every situation.

• Recognize their personal limitations and seek outside assistance when required.

ADDRESSING RESISTANCE

Leader resistance comes from:

• Lack of good examples (wasn’t properly counseled before)

• No role model

• Does not understand counseling (have we got a web site for them!)

• Lack of time

• Resigned to failure

• Concern about violating reg/policy

• May see counseling as only corrective/punitive.

• Confrontation averse

• Lack of respect for/belief in subordinate

Subordinate resistance:

• Is often a reaction to the purpose or message of the counseling session.

• They may be embarrassed or misunderstand the intention of the counseling session

• May disagree with the leader’s assessment of the situation.

• May not want to change

• May blame the leader for the issue

• May dislike being held accountable

• May defy being disciplined.

• May not respect or trust the leader.

Leaders successfully overcome subordinate resistance by applying positive counseling practices.

To overcome resistance in counseling, leaders can employ several techniques to redirect the subordinate:

• Reconfirm the counseling session purpose—be specific.

• Refrain from any personal attacks on the subordinate.

• Keep the discussion professional and balanced in tone—do not argue or place blame on any party.

• Discuss the suspected resistance openly with the subordinate and respect his or her response.

• Slow the tempo of the session—rely on pertinent open-ended questions to give the subordinate the appropriate time and ability to reveal information and be an active participant.

• Focus on one specific behavior, its effect, and the consequences.

Diving deep in the doctrinal details:

Here is what ATP 6-22.1 says about counseling practices.

COUNSELING PRACTICES

2-15. Dominating the session by talking too much, giving unnecessary or inappropriate advice, not truly listening, and projecting biases and prejudices all interfere with effective counseling. Competent leaders avoid rash judgments, stereotyping, losing emotional control, inflexible counseling methods, or improper follow-up. Leaders should be open to new ideas and thoughts.

2-16. Leaders conduct effective counseling sessions and improve their counseling skills when they follow these general guidelines:

• Determine the subordinate’s role in the situation and what has been done to resolve the issue.

• Focus attention on the subordinate. Listen to what is said and how it is said to understand what the subordinate says and feels.

• Encourage the subordinate to take the initiative and speak aloud. l Remain objective; avoid confirming a subordinate’s prejudices.

• Display empathy when discussing the issue. Be receptive to the subordinate’s emotions without feeling responsible.

• Ask open-ended questions for relevant information; avoid interrogating the subordinate.

• Listen more and talk less; avoid interrupting.

• Keep personal experiences out of the counseling session.

• Draw conclusions based on all available information, not just the subordinate’s statement.

• Enable the subordinate to help himself or herself.

• Know what information to keep confidential and what to present to the chain of command, if necessary.

ACCEPTING LIMITATIONS

2-17. Army leaders cannot help everyone in every situation. Army leaders should recognize their personal limitations and seek outside assistance when required. When necessary, leaders refer a subordinate to an agency more qualified to help.

2-18. Although it is generally in an individual’s best interest to begin by seeking help from his or her first[1]line leaders, leaders should respect an individual’s preference to contact outside support agencies. ADDRESSING RESISTANCE

2-19. Resistance in counseling may stem from either the leader or subordinate and may occur in several ways. Identifying and understanding the possible forms of resistance is essential. A leader may be reluctant to counsel subordinates because the leader has not been counseled, has had no effective role modeling for what is involved in the process, or does not understand how to conduct counseling. Additionally, leaders may feel there is no time to do counseling, counseling will not be a constructive use of time, or counseling will violate a regulation or policy. They may associate counseling with only negative issues such as dispensing punishment or correcting poor performance. Further, leaders may not want to confront a subordinate. Other typical reasons for leader reluctance involve a lack of respect for the subordinate, believing the subordinate lacks potential, or encountering constant issues with the subordinate.

2-20. Subordinate resistance often occurs as a reaction to the purpose or message of the counseling session. They may be embarrassed, misunderstand the intention of the counseling session, or disagree with the leader’s assessment of the situation. Subordinates may not want to change, may blame the leader for the issue or behavior at hand, may dislike being held accountable, or may defy being disciplined. In some cases, the subordinate may not respect or trust the leader.

2-21. Leaders may preempt potential subordinate resistance by opening the counseling session with a discussion of the purpose of the session, expectations of the session, and how they relate to the subordinate’s short- and long-term goals. Through regular periodic counseling, leaders should understand and be aware of the subordinate’s goals. For the session to be effective, leaders must focus on the issue and adapt the counseling to the subordinate’s needs and understanding.

2-22. Once a leader understands that counseling subordinates is a significant leader responsibility in developing subordinates’ potential, leader reluctance to counsel can be overcome through preparation and improving counseling skills. Leaders successfully overcome subordinate resistance by applying positive counseling practices. After the leader identifies the source of a subordinate’s resistance, then the counseling process can be adapted to accommodate and overcome the resistance.

2-23. To overcome resistance in counseling, leaders can employ several techniques to redirect the subordinate:

• Reconfirm the counseling session purpose—be specific and keep focused on the details (such as conditions, triggers, and outcomes) of the situation; refrain from any personal attacks on the subordinate.

• Keep the discussion professional and balanced in tone—do not argue or place blame on any party.

• Discuss the suspected resistance openly with the subordinate and respect his or her response.

• Slow the tempo of the session—rely on pertinent open-ended questions to give the subordinate the appropriate time and ability to reveal information and be an active participant in the counseling session.

• Focus on one specific behavior, its effect, and the consequences to minimize overwhelming the subordinate. It may be necessary to divide the session into multiple meetings to address each area adequately. Further, the leader should prioritize these discussions based on the needs of the individual and unit.

Master all the skills of great counseling: Take A Doctrine Deep Dive with a read of ATP 6-22.1