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COUNSELING STEP THREE: GET THE EMPLOYEE TO AGREE UPON A TIME FRAME WITHIN WHICH THE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN

When you have reached this point in the counseling session you're almost home free. The employee has agreed there is a problem and has a plan to correct it. What remains is to set a time frame for carrying out that plan. Try saying something like this:

YOU: That's sounds like a good plan. When do you think you could look at those orders and talk to Benny?

TOM: Well, I've got the orders out there on the workbench so I guess I could look at them now. And Benny's on break now, I think, but maybe I could catch im when he gets back.  

YOU: You think we could get back together in an hour? Would that be enough time for you to talk to Benny and go over the orders?

TOM: I guess so. Yeah, that should be enough time.

YOU: Okay then, you'll take a look at the orders to see which ones we can push over until tomorrow, and you'll talk to Benny about taking a few of the rush jobs off your hands.  Then you'll get back with me in an hour and we'll see where we stand. Right?

TOM: Right.

When it is conducted in the right way, a disciplinary interview can be a positive, constructive, and educational experience. As in the case of Tom, you clarify expectations, agree upon a plan of action, and set a time for carrying out these actions. A lot of your success in conducting a counseling session depends upon your ability to communicate with employees. In fact, effective communication is essential to high performance in and out of counseling sessions. In our next chapter, we will look at communication as another skill you need to keep your business strong.

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