1. Commandant’s Department Summer Training 14 July 2015
Counseling
Commandant’s Department Summer Training 14 July 2015

2. Counseling
Counseling is the process used by leaders to review with a subordinate the subordinate’s demonstrated performance and potential
Three major categories:
Event
Performance
Professional growth

3. Event Counseling Involves a specific event or situation
Can precede an event such as a promotion board
Can follow events such as noteworthy duty performance, a problem with performance or mission accomplishment, or a personal issue

4. Event Counseling Citadel examples
A counseling generated by a SPOT report
Mandatory counseling after an alcohol incident
CPFT failure counselings before Ring Weekend and graduation

5. Performance Counseling
Used to conduct a review of a subordinate’s duty performance over a certain period
Communicates standards and is an opportunity for leaders to establish and clarify the expected values, attributes, and competencies

6. Performance Counseling
Citadel examples
When a cadet has accumulated 75% or 100% of his semester or annual demerit allowance (CC Form 98)

7. Professional Growth Counseling
Includes planning for the accomplishment of individual and professional goals
Leader and subordinate conduct a review to identify and discuss the subordinate’s strengths and weaknesses and to create an individual development plan that builds upon those strengths and compensates for (or eliminates) weaknesses
May include developing a “pathway to success” with short- and long-term goals and objectives

8. Professional Growth Counseling
Citadel examples
Annual counseling using CC Form 112

9. “TAC”
Teach
Advise
Coach

10. Teach
Teaching is “giving the desired information in an understandable manner”
Training is “perfecting performance through repetition”
CTM Chapter 4

11. Advise
“To offer suggestions about the best course of action to someone”
OED
“Coaching” also involves discussing courses of action and developing an action plan
ADRP 6-22
“Mentoring” also involves providing advice and counsel

12. Coaching
Refers to the function of helping someone through a set of tasks or with general qualities
Relies primarily on teaching and guiding to bring out and enhance the capabilities already present
Those being coached may or may not have appreciated their potential
The coach helps them understand their current level of performance and guides them how to reach the next level of knowledge and skill

13. Coaching
An important aspect of coaching is identifying and planning for short- and long-term goals
The coach and the person being coached discuss strengths, weaknesses, and courses of action to sustain or improve

14. Guidelines for Coaches
Focus goals
Identify the purpose of each coaching session
Articulate mutual expectations
Communicate the individual and developmental tasks for the session

15. Guidelines for Coaches
Clarify the leader’s self-awareness
Define strengths and developmental needs
Agree on focus areas to improve

16. Guidelines for Coaches
Uncover potential
The coach facilitates self-awareness of the individual’s potential and developmental needs by guiding the discussion with questions
The coach actively listens to how the individual perceives potential and encourages a free flow of ideas
The coach assesses the individual’s readiness to change and incorporates this into the session

17. Guidelines for Coaches
Eliminate developmental barriers
Identify developmental needs
Identify those areas that may hinder self-development
Determine how to overcome barriers to development
Determine how to implement an effective plan to improve overall performance
Help the individual identify potential sources of support for implementing an action plan

18. Guidelines for Coaches
Follow-up
Provide feedback concerning the effectiveness of the assessment, the usefulness of the information they received, and progress
Provide frequent informal feedback as well as formal counseling to regularly inspire and improve subordinates

19. Mentorship
The voluntary developmental relationship that exists between a person of greater experience and a person of lesser experience that is characterized by mutual trust and respect
Mentoring focuses primarily on developing a more experienced leader for the future

20. Characteristics of Mentorship
Takes place when the mentor provides a less experienced leader with advice and counsel over time
Affects personal development (maturity and interpersonal and communication skills) as well as professional development (technical, tactical, and career path knowledge)
The strength of the relationship relies on mutual trust and respect

22. “The Complete TAC”
So in the final analysis, it appears a TAC must learn to “become all things to all people so that by all possible means he might save some.”
In some circumstances a TAC will teach. At other times she will train.
Sometimes advise. Sometimes counsel.
Sometimes coach. Sometimes mentor.
The thing to remember is that all those verbs represent the “task.” The task is important only as it relates to the “purpose,” and the purpose of every mission-essential task a TAC does should somehow relate to the development of principled leaders.