Section 10E - Development Counseling Flashcards
____ leadership development is one of the most important responsibilities of every Air Force leader.
Airmen. (Make it one of your highest priorities)
Leaders help Airmen identify their strengths and weaknesses, create action plans and support them throughout plan implementation and assessments. To be successful, what commitment is required from the Airmen?
Airmen must be committed to improving and candid in their self-assessments and goal setting.
How do leaders coach Airmen?
By 1) identifying weaknesses; 2) setting goals; 3) developing and implementing plans of action; and 4) providing oversight and motivation throughout the process.
Why do Air Force leaders counsel Airmen?
To help them 1) become better team members; 2) maintain or improve performance; and 3) prepare for the future.
To counsel effectively; leaders develop a counseling style that exemplifies what five characteristics?
1) Purpose; 2) flexibility; 3) respect; 4) communication; and 5) support.
Effective counseling requires open, two-way communication. (T/F)
True.
To be effective counselors, what five qualities must Air Force leaders demonstrate?
1) Respect for Airmen; 2) self-awareness; 3) cultural awareness; 4) empathy; and 5) credibility.
How do leaders show respect for Airmen?
By allowing Airmen to take responsibility for their own ideas and actions, which creates mutual respect in the leader-subordinate relationship. This improves the chances of changing or maintaining behavior and achieving goals.
Why must leaders be aware of their own values, needs and biases prior to counseling Airmen?
Because self-awareness leaders are less likely to project their biases onto Airmen and more likely to act consistently with their own values and actions.
To be effective counselors, why do leaders need to be aware of the similarities and differences between individuals of different cultural backgrounds and how these factors may influence values, perspectives and actions?
So unfamiliarity with cultural backgrounds won’t hinder addressing cultural issues. (Cultural awareness enhances your ability to display empathy.)
Empathy is being understanding and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of another person to the point that you can almost feel or experience them yourself. Why is this quality important in leadership counseling?
So leaders can see and understand situations from the other person’s perspective and help Airmen develop a plan of action that fits the Airman’s personality and needs. (A lack of understanding gives leaders less credibility and influence.)
As a counselor and leader, how do you achieve credibility with Airmen?
1) Be honest and consistent in statements and actions; 2) be straightforward; 3) behave in a manner that Airmen respect and trust; and 4) repeatedly demonstrate your willingness to help.
All leaders should develop and improve their counseling skills. Techniques will vary, but should include what three general skills?
1) Active listening - communicate verbally and nonverbally that you’ve received the message; 2) responding - clarify and confirm what has been said using verbal and nonverbal responses; and 3) questioning - keeping questions open-ended to evoke more that a “yes” or “no” answer.
You can usually categorize developmental counseling based on the session’s topic. What are two major categories of counseling?
Event-oriented counseling and performance and professional growth counseling.
What does event-oriented counseling include?
It includes (but is not limited to) counseling for specific instances, crisis counseling and referral counseling.
Counseling for specific instances is tied to episodes of superior or substandard duty performance. What is the key to its success?
Conduct the counseling as close to the event as possible. (Don’t forget to acknowledge excellent performance.)
Crisis counseling helps airmen through the initial shock of receiving _____.
Negative news. (Such as the death of a loved one.)
____ counseling helps Airmen work through personal situations and may act as preventative counseling before situations become a problem.
Referral. (The leader helps the Airmen identify the problem and refers the Airman to the appropriate resource, such as legal services, chaplain or an alcohol or drug counselor. It may or may not follow crisis counseling.)
What actions do leaders take during performance and professional growth counseling?
They 1) review the Airman’s duty performance during a certain period; 2) set standards for the next period; and 3) focus the session on the Airman’s strengths, aread needing improvement and potential.
During counseling, effective leaders approach each Airman as an individual realizing that different people and different situations require different counseling approaches. Name the three major counseling approaches.
1) Nondirective; 2) directive; and 3) combined.
What is the largest difference among the three counseling approaches?
The degree of Airman participation and interaction.
The nondirective counseling approach is preferred for most sessions. What is the counselor’s role in this process?
He or she 1) listens rather than makes decisions or gives advice; 2) clarifies what is said; 3) causes the Airman to bring out important points to better understand the situation; 4) summarizes the discussion when appropriate; 5) avoids providing solutions or rendering opinions; 6) maintains a focus on individual and organizations goals and objectives; and 7) ensures the Airman’s plan of action supports those goals and objectives.
