COUNSELING: Week 3 Wrap-up & Final Quiz

It’s been a long week. We covered the overall Four Stages of Counseling, then we got deep into each stage and took a look at the new DA 4856. Let’s do a review, then dive into the Weekly Quiz.

Here’s a quick review of this week’s major takeaways:

The major takeaways:

THE FOUR-STAGE COUNSELING PROCESS

1. Identify the need for counseling.

2. Prepare for counseling.

3. Conduct the counseling session.

4. Follow-up.

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY THE NEED FOR COUNSELING

• Success depends on the preparatory steps that the counselor takes before the counseling session.

• Develop a clear purpose,

• Have idea of possible outcomes that are desired.

• Be prepared for contingencies

Other important points:

• Counseling is an interactive and dynamic process where assessments and follow-on actions come from a trusted exchange between the counselor and individual receiving counseling.

• Army and organizational policies may direct the timing or focused elements of a counseling session

• Leaders may conduct developmental counseling whenever the need arises for focused, two-way open communication.

• For event counseling, the leader must confirm or seek new information and remain open to new assessments of the event and related goals or corrections.

STAGE 2: PREPARE FOR COUNSELING

Things to prepare:

• Select a suitable place.

• Schedule the time.

• Notify the subordinate well in advance.

• Outline the components of the counseling session.

• Organize information and draft a plan of action.

• Plan the counseling strategy.

• Establish the right atmosphere

Army leaders may employ three major approaches to counseling:

• nondirective

• directive

• combined.

Techniques leaders may explore during the nondirective or combined approaches include:

• Suggesting alternatives. Leader and subordinate together decide which course of action is most appropriate.

• Recommending. Recommend one course of action but leave the decision to accept it to the subordinate.

• Persuading. Persuade the subordinate that a given course of action is best, but leave the final decision to the subordinate.

• Advising. This is the strongest form of influence not involving command.

Techniques to use during the directive approach to counseling include: l

• Corrective training. Teach and assist the subordinate in attaining and maintaining the required standard. A subordinate completes corrective training once consistently meeting standards. l

• Commanding. Order the subordinate to take a given course of action in clear, precise words. The subordinate will face consequences for failing to execute.

STAGE 3: CONDUCT THE COUNSELING SESSION

Address the four basic components of a counseling session:

• Open the session.

• Discuss the issues.

• Develop a plan of action.

• Record and close the session.

Open the Session

• Make the purpose clear

• Establishes a subordinate-centered setting as appropriate

• Invite the subordinate to speak and acknowledge the purpose.

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Discuss the Issues

• Develop a mutual and clear understanding of the counseling issues.

• Use active listening and invite the subordinate to do most of the talking

• Respond and ask questions without dominating the conversation

• Adjust understanding of the situation based on the subordinate’s input.

• When the issue is substandard performance, clear what did not meet the standard.

• Clearly establish what the subordinate must do to meet the standard.

• It is very important that the leader frames the issue at hand as substandard performance and prevents the subordinate from labeling the issue as unreasonable.

Develop a Plan of Action

• Limit one or two realistic goals tied to work or life events with milestones that allow for monitoring progress.

• Must be appropriate and specific, showing the subordinate how to modify or maintain specific behaviors.

Record and Close the Session

• A leader always benefits from documenting the main points of a counseling session, even informal ones.

• Documentation serves as a ready reference for the agreed-upon plan of action and helps the leader.

• DA Form 4856 is designed to help Army leaders conduct and record counseling sessions.

• Documentation of substandard actions often conveys a strong message

Army regulations require specific written records of counseling for certain personnel actions

• Barring a Soldier from reenlisting,

• Processing an administrative separation

• Placing a Soldier in the overweight program.

Notably, the ATP 6-22.1 has not (yet) been updated to reflect the new DA4856. However, the new 4856 is dynamic – it changes based on the category of counseling you select and even within the category. An event counseling for substandard performance and one for a crisis get entirely different forms. So, the new form matches the doctrine closer than the old one. See the posted images.

Close The Session

• Ask the counseled subordinate to summarize key points and expectations based on the proposed plan of action.

• Establish any necessary follow-up measures

• Schedule future meetings

STAGE 4: FOLLOW-UP

Leader Responsibilities

• Counseling process does not end with the initial counseling session.

• Leaders must consistently support their subordinates in implementing the plan of action by:

  • Teaching

  • Coaching

  • Mentoring

  • providing additional time

  • referrals

  • other appropriate resources.

Additional measures may include

• More focused follow-up counseling

• Informing the chain of command

• Taking more severe corrective measures

Assess the Plan of Action

• Leader & subordinate jointly determine if the desired results happened.

• The plan of action assessment provides useful information for future follow-up counseling sessions

NOW: Take A Deep Dive into The Weekly Quiz: QUIZ 10: The 4-Stage Counseling Process