Counseling, Listening, & Feedback

1. Counseling, Listening, & Feedback C/Lt Col Aaron Sanchez C/Lt Col Hunter Hollrah

2. Counseling The act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation. Advice or guidance especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person. To advise/recommend, as an act or course. Counseling is listening to other people.

3. Three categories of counseling: • Performance • Career • Personal Performance Counseling: Deals with improving or maintaining performance. Career Counseling: Deals with training, promotions, and the development of potential. Personal Counseling: Deals with personal matters such as school conflicts, and family problems.

4. Purpose of Counseling • Helping your subordinates achieve their goals. • Assist by NOT “chewing out” or reprimand. • To motivate and give guidance. • Help with problems your cadets may be having.

5. Listening • Takes concentration and willingness to put effort into the process. • You can hear someone, but may not be comprehending what they are saying. • Listening helps you understand what others are saying, when they are trying to help you. • Outside noises several times interfere in the listening process, learn how to block them out. • Active listening is difficult do to internal barriers. We focus on the author rather then what the author is saying.

6. Do’s for good listening… • Keep an open mind; accept new ideas. • Listen to understand; don’t challenge or argue to new ideas. • Takes notes with care. • Make eye contact, this will tell the speaker you are attentive and want to learn. • Keep your feelings positive; if you have a positive attitude you will have an open mind. • Listen to new ideas; give credit to the source.

7. Feedback • Consist of both verbal and non-verbal feedback. • Provides the speaker information on how he/she has done in their speech. • Non Verbal: Smile, frown, yawn • Verbal: Good job, could have been better, etc.

8. External & Internal Feedback • External: Operates when you are sensitive to the reaction of others. i.e. (Their comments, non-verbal symbols.) • Internal: The author may engage in this method of feedback by asking yourself the question, “How well did I communicate with my audience?”

9. Instructional Feedback As an NCO you will be tasked with instructing cadets on jobs, missions, and activities. To advance your cadets training it is wise to provide them with feedback on their performance. • Constructive criticism • Praise • Alternatives to how they could have done things differently.