As a fairly new NCO, am I supposed to give my soldiers initial and monthly counsellings (PSG is asking for monthly)?

Developmental counseling is designed as an opportunity for you to help develop your soldiers. It is not as simple as conducting an AAR, though I see plenty of people are suggesting just that.

I took my soldiers aside and sat down with their promotion packet worksheets and addressed each subject. Leadership, Okay how are we going to get you top points in leadership? Then lay out a plan to do so, the same with NCOER's. Monthly I would go back to the first counseling and we would talk about how they worked to fulfill those plans, or how they are failing to do so.

If a really good thing, or bad thing happened I addressed those as needed, not on the monthly NCOER. Yes it can be paperwork heavy, but if you are not developing your soldiers you can't expect to have great soldiers.

Yes, counsel monthly- actually point out good , bad and possible corrections, at the end of the year you have a paper trail for their annual NCOER/eval report. Every link in the chain should be doing the same, that way if the Annual report doesn't jive, you have a basis to refute it. It lets EVERYONE know where they stand and what improvements they need o work on. That's professionalism. I did adverse counseling as well with the caveat that if they straightened up within 30-60-90 days it would be shitcanned. It kept everyone honest, eliminated unfairness, and gave my a basis to make a case to the old man if necessary

Counseling statements are extremely important for the development of Soldiers. That being said, I do believe monthly is a little extreme. I counseled my Soldiers (autocorrect just got me with "dimwits" lmao) monthly because it was required, but some circumstances made it very difficult. If one of the kids was out for 3 weeks for convalescent leave or longer than that for training, it was still required. Again, very difficult. I feel quarterly counseling would be far more productive as more points can be discussed and intermittent absences did not prevent a fair evaluation. Thoughts?

Lmao a monthly counciling is a real life thing. You should include subject areas such as mos skills, pt, military bearing and appearance, upcoming training events, as well as promotion. In the plan of action I liked for my soldiers to provide three goals for the near term then we would develop a plan to accomplish them.

Counseling is not only required, it's the link between supervisor and subordinate for professional, personal, technical and tactical development.

3 years Army 71-74 then Navy 81-94 and I never heard of or had monthly counseling. We had yearly reviews that were to say the least "creative". I started asking for "thank you" letters from the subs we fixed to pad my guys records to help them get advanced.

Yes, and start a leaders book on your Joe’s. Every NCO should have them along with copy’s of everything important pertaining to that soldier.
Also don’t forget counselings are not just to be used for negative performance but positive as well. Monthly performance counselings are a must.

When a soldier goes above and beyond remember not only the positive counseling but the Da836 and put them in for a AAM. Even if it gets denied make the effort.

Also while there’s no real wrong way to do it, plain speak in a counseling keeps things simple.

I knew Colonels who couldnt meet that requirement for subordinates’ OERs .... didn’t fill out their OER Suppirt Firm until the time they wrote their OER!

Quarterly counselings would suffice in this US National Guard...which citizen soldier is a Hawkeye for monthly counselings? Sounds like ASAP to me

I would prefer the term appraisals. Troops never know where you expect them to get to if you never tell them.