Counseling Activity

 

Confrontation Counseling

Objective: Gain an understand of the counseling process.

This short activity will help the learners gain an understanding of what factors influence the decision to counsel. It is required before moving on to Activity Two.

Directions: Break the class into small groups and have them discuss the reading below. Once they have read and discussed it (about 10 to 15 minutes), have each group list 3 or 4 examples on a flipchart for each of the "four factors" when deciding to confront. 

After they have had time to complete the activity (about 20 to 25 minutes), bring the groups back together and discuss their examples. Ensure they understand that:
they must closely reflect on their personal belief system when deciding to confront...some of their experiences are good for the situation, while others will bias the situation. (Personal Belief System)
they should listen to others in the organization, but as the supervisor or manager, they have they final decision on how to approach the situation...and they should do so as a leader, not as a friend, enemy, etc. (Organizational Belief System)
laws and regulations will have a big impact on the situation...else the organization could face fines and/or lawsuits. (Objective Standards)
the Factual Reference Base is the main guiding force that will help them to select the "right" thing to do - Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. - Warren Bennis.




What is Confrontation Counseling?

Confrontation Counseling is not yelling, making accusations, pounding your fists on the table, or getting in someone's face. Neither is it nagging, condemning, or belittling a person.

Confrontation Counseling is making an employee face the evidence of their performance or behavior and requiring them to decide about their future. Confronting is most successfully performed before there is a major incident. This is when the issues deal primarily with performance deterioration.

Factors in a Decision to Confront

There are four main influencing factors when someone makes a decision to confront an employee - Personal Belief System, Organizational Belief System, Objective Standards, and Factual Reference Base.

The Personal Belief System includes:
Cultural Attitudes
Unique Experiences
Personal Beliefs
Personal Attitudes
This is how a person looks and reacts to life, people, and events. For example, a retired Army Sergeant, who is use to people being on time, will probably have less of a tolerance for employees who are late than someone who has worked at home for the last 10 years. Another example is a non-drinking supervisor who has had a close family member killed by a drunk driver will have a different view on a substance abuser than someone who likes to go out and have a few drinks after work.

The Organizational Belief System includes:
Employee-Individual Expectations
Employee-Group Expectations
Peer Group Expectations
Upper-Level Leadership Expectations
This is made up of the personal beliefs of individuals in different roles within the organization. For example, someone who is operating a forklift on a plant floor in an unsafe manner has specific expectations on how you should look at confrontation when dealing with his or hers unsafe practices. Your peers and the employee's peers will have similar or contradictory expectations ranging from eliminating a safety risk to expecting compassion and leniency. While your managers might want you to solve the problem without making waves.

The Objective Standards include:
Company Standards
Industry Standards
Applicable Laws and Regulations
These are the laws, regulations, and workplace standards that set an objective standard or baseline.

The Factual Reference Base includes:
Realistic Understanding of Consequences
Aware of Helping Resources
Punitive Consequences
Factual Knowledge
Confidence in Process
The employee must realize that as uncomfortable as the process is, confrontation counseling works.

The Personal Belief System, the Organizational Belief System, and the Objective Standards is the foundation for the Factual Reference Base - how the employee will view the process. And for the process to work it must be viewed with confidence. There must be faith in the system.


Notes
Created January 19, 1998. Last update - April 8, 2000.
Leadership Training and Development Outline
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