Professional Military Education
Advanced NCO Course
Counseling &
Mentorship
Slide 1
Counseling & Mentorship
Reference:
FM 7-22.7 NCO Guide
Chapter 5: Counseling and Mentorship
Slide 2
Training Objectives
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Leader’s Responsibility
Effective Counseling Program
Types of Developmental Counseling
The Counseling Session
Mentorship
Slide 3
Leader’s Responsibility
• Achieve personal, professional development
and organizational goals
• Prepare for increased responsibilities
• Leaders are responsible for developing their
soldiers
• Unit readiness and mission accomplishment
• Develop subordinates through teaching,
coaching and counseling.
Slide 4
Leader’s Responsibility
Coaching:
• Same as sports coaches improve their teams
• Identifying weaknesses
• Setting goals
• Developing and implementing a plan of action
• Providing oversight and motivation
• Understand the strengths, weaknesses and
professional goals
Slide 5
Leader’s Responsibility
Characteristics of Effective Counseling:
• Flexibility: Fit the style to soldier
• Respect: View soldiers as unique individuals
• Communication: Two-way communication
using language, nonverbal, and gestures
• Support: Encourage soldiers through actions
while guiding them through problems
• Motivation: Get soldier to actively participate in
counseling and understand its value
Slide 6
Leader’s Responsibility
Leaders conduct counseling to help soldiers
become better members of the team, maintain or
improve performance and prepare for the future.
Slide 7
Effective Program
Essential to an Effective Counseling Program:
• Education and Training
• Experience
• Continued support from VDF and leaders
• Enforcement
Slide 8
Effective Program
Education and Training:
• Institutional
• Units
• Mentorship
• Self-development
• Provide a base line of education
Slide 9
Effective Program
Experience:
• Learn by doing
• Guidance from more senior leaders
• Put skills to use
• Practice counseling
• Receive guidance
• Mentoring
Slide 10
Effective Program
Continued support from VDF and leaders:
• www.armywriter.com
• FM 6-22 (22-100), Appendix B and C
• Leaders: spot checks and monitoring
• Critiques
Slide 11
Effective Program
Enforcement:
• Leaders must hold NCOs accountable
• Ensure acceptable counseling standards
for both frequency and content
• Compliance program on unit inspections
Slide 12
Effective Program
Counseling process:
• Identify the need for counseling.
• Prepare for counseling.
• Conduct counseling.
• Follow-up
Slide 13
Effective Program
Qualities Needed to Counsel Effectively:
• Respect for soldiers.
• Self and cultural awareness.
• Credibility.
• Empathy.
Slide 14
Effective Program
Counseling skills:
• Active listening
• Responding
• Questioning
Slide 15
Effective Program
Avoid:
• Personal bias
• Rash judgments
• Stereotyping
• Loss of emotional control
• Inflexible methods of counseling
• Improper follow-up
Slide 16
Effective Program
Prepare for counseling:
• Select a suitable place
• Schedule the time
• Notify the counselee well in advance.
• Organize information
• Outline the components of the session
• Plan counseling strategy
• Establish the right atmosphere
Slide 17
Effective Program
Conduct the counseling session:
• Open the session
• Discuss the issue
• Develop plan of action
• Leader’s responsibilities
• Record and close the session
Slide 18
Effective Program
Follow-up:
• Support Plan of Action Implementation
• Assess Plan of Action
Slide 19
Developmental Counseling
Event-oriented counseling:
• Specific instances of superior or
substandard performance.
• Reception and integration counseling.
• Crisis counseling.
• Referral counseling.
• Promotion counseling.
• Separation counseling.
Slide 20
Developmental Counseling
Specific Instances:
• Session close to the time of the event
• Tell soldier the purpose of the counseling
• Address the action, not the person’s character
• Effect of the performance on the rest of the unit
• Actively listen to the soldier’s response
• Remain unemotional
• Teach the soldier how to meet the standard
• Explain what will be done to improve performance
• Continue to assess and follow-up
Slide 21
Developmental Counseling
Reception and Integration Counseling:
• Counsel new team members
• Identifies and fixes problems or concerns
• Communicate unit standards and how they fit in
• Starts the team building process
• Lets the soldier know the leadership cares
• Begin immediately upon arrival
Slide 22
Developmental Counseling
Reception and Integration Counseling:
• Unit standards
• Chain of command and NCO support channel
• On and off duty conduct
• Personnel/personal affairs/initial clothing issue.
• Unit history, organization and mission.
• Soldier programs within the unit
Slide 23
Developmental Counseling
Other Types of Counseling:
• Crisis Counseling
• Referral Counseling
• Promotion Counseling
• Professional Growth Counseling
Slide 24
Developmental Counseling
Review and Discuss Case Study:
The Counseling Session
SFC Lang and SSG Rovero
FM 7-22.7 5-13, pp. 121-123
Slide 25
Mentorship
Mentorship is a voluntary, developmental
relationship that exists between a person of
greater experience and a person of lesser
experience.
Mentorship is a proven approach and a
valuable tool for NCO leaders
Slide 26
Mentorship
Mentorship Characteristics:
• Personal, voluntary developmental relationship
• Mentor is trusted and experienced counselor or guide
• Mutual agreement on mentoring relationship
• Mentoring relationship devoid of conflicting interests.
• Shared Values
• Two-way communications.
• Mentor must be willing to knowledge and experience
• Mentor maintains confidentiality and trust
• Sincere caring on part of the mentor
• May be initiated by superior or subordinate
Slide 27
Mentorship
NCO / Officer Mentorship:
• Senior NCOs have a great deal of experience that is
valuable to officers
• Senior officers seek NCOs’ advice and counsel
• Young officers need to be paired with senior
experienced NCOs
• Relationship that frequently comes from this
experience tends to be instrumental in the young
officers' development
Slide 28
Mentorship
NCO / Officer Mentorship:
• Senior NCOs have a great deal of experience that is
valuable to officers
• Senior officers seek NCOs’ advice and counsel
• Young officers need to be paired with senior
experienced NCOs
• Relationship that frequently comes from this
experience tends to be instrumental in the young
officers' development
Slide 29
Counseling & Mentorship
Questions?
Slide 30