How to help your staff with their personal problems

1. Quotable quote

"You will often need to give people clear guidance and advice when you are counselling them. You may even need to take action to solve someone’s problem - say by separating two workmates who are not getting on together. Such a ‘directive’ approach is not always appropriate. Much in favour nowadays is the so-called ‘non-directive’ approach. Instead of telling the person how you think they should solve their problem you let them talk it through, come to terms with it and find their own solution. In many cases the person will be unable to ‘own’ and implement a solution unless it is the one they feel they have arrived at for themselves.

You will need to decide which approach is the more appropriate to the problem of the particular person you are counselling."

2. Viewpoint

"When a team leader ‘counsels’ an associate, it’s more analagous to a coach of an athletic team counsel-ing a player than to a psychotherapist counsel-ing a patient. Professional counselling should be done by trained specialists."

3. Quotable quote

"If an employee is having problems with a project, these may be caused by personal matters… Be an empathetic listener. Your role as ounsellor is to give team members an opportunity to unload their problems. Encourage them by asking questions. Don’t criticise, argue the point, or make a judgement. Act as a sounding board to help release the pressures causing the problem. …