1-10you with their problems. In other cases, you will have torecognize the existence of a problem and discover itsnature on your own. You should be able to recognizechanges in behavior that often signal problems. Someindicators of an individual’s need for help may bedeclining job performance, changes in attitude, orwithdrawal from friends and associates. Difficultygetting to work on time, constant demands on asupervisor’s time, and rebellion against authority or thesystem in general often indicate personal problems. Doyou remember the old saying about 20 percent of thepeople causing 80 percent of the problems? You canexpect to spend 80 percent to 90 percent of your“personnel admin” time on 20 percent of the people.Your job as a supervisor is to get 100 percent team effortfrom your assigned workers.When counseling is necessary, no matter what thereason, you should first try to “set the stage.” What doesthat mean? If possible, wait until after normal workhours or at least until a lull occurs in the tempo ofoperations to talk with the individual. Try to find a quietplace where interruptions will not occur. You may havedifficulty finding a quiet place in many operatingenvironments, but do the best you can. Your quiet placemay be an office or a vacant corner of the hangar deck,but try to get as much privacy as circumstances allow.Nondirective counseling occurs when you allow yoursubordinates to determine the direction of sessions. Yourprimary task is to listen to what they are saying. Showyou are actively listening by reacting to what is said.Occasionally restate what has been said. Try to developa nonevaluative style of listening and responding. Thatwill encourage individuals to open up and work outfrustrations, fears, and worries without fear ofembarrassment. Often, simply letting people talk outproblems can help them find a solution. Use occasional,general questions to guide the conversation. Avoidquestions that can be answered “yes” or “no.”Often your counseling efforts will consist of littlemore than providing information, pointing outinfractions, or pointing out failure to use common sense.How you counsel will depend entirely upon yourpersonality and the personality of the individual receivingthe counseling. Use common sense in developing yourapproach. At other times you will have to work a littleharder to get to the root of a problem and help find asolution. When an individual approaches you with arequest for specific information or your opinion,provided it is of a professional nature and not a personalnature, guide them to a resolution. Exercise caution whenexpressing opinions, however, as they can become loadedguns if not carefully thought out and expressly worded.If the concern is of a personal nature, provide them withsources of help. The Navy has trained professionals forthis sort of help. We all want to help our shipmates;however, caution should be exercised when providingassistance with personal matters.You, as a frontline supervisor, are the first link inspotting problems. You are in daily contact with theworkers in your unit or division. Be sure you know howto spot problems and counsel your workers. If you can'tsolve a problem, pass it up the chain of command. If youignore it, it may grow into a bigger problem.Don't be afraid to seek help when faced with anunfamiliar situation. Your chain of command, chaplain'soffice, legal officer, and personnel office often can helpsolve problems or offer advice. Be aware of the resourcesavailable to you. The morale and job performance ofyour people depend on your ability to manage humanresources. Unless you make a conscious effort to developthat ability, your leadership will never reach its fullpotential.REVIEW 3 QUESTIONSQ1. How can you train an unskilled subordinate whileperforming a task?Q2. When you determine safety requirements for atask, what is a shelf-life requirement?Q3. What documents can be used to determine thetools that are needed for a specific task?Q4. In order to track your crew’s progress, what mustit be measured against?Q5. Task performance standards consist of whatfactors?Q6. When you give a status report to your supervisor,what is meant by the four B’s?Q7. What type of feedback is given when jobperformance standards are not being met?
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