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

As an NCO you should give new soldiers and initial within 30 days. Also you should be counseling your soldiers monthly. This does not include any counseling's for recognition or corrective

This is the reason why the Army's promotion system is broke. A young NCO who does not know how to properly counsel her subordinates. The initial counseling is the counseling that lets the subordinates know, what are your expectations of them! The monthly counseling is counseling used to let them know how they performed during the month. My recommendation to you, get back to the basics, learn how to research Army regulations and publications. If your PSG wants to see the monthly counseling, you make sure you give him what he asked for, not what you think you want to give him.

Absolutley,

This is your opportunity to let Soldiers know what they did or did not do well and how they can improve. A plan of action is set and you hold them to it. I would say not to focus only on negative counseling or monthly counseling also cousel on the good things to. I would often intilizebwhat was known as under the oak tree counseling to get to know my Soldiers and have conversations that allowed them the opportunity to speak openly with me as their first line supervisor.

Yes you are supposed to do initial and monthly counseling to your joes other wise you're failing them.

How have you made it to SGT and you don't know this!!?? Oh right because you're leadership failed you. It is a shame that you don't have proper leadership, but sadly you are in the majority

Yes you are, initial counseling not only let's your soldiers know what you expect from them in writing so they can't deny it later but also should explain to them what they can and should expect from you. Monthly counseling let's them know how they are doing and in what areas they need improvement and what areas they are doing well in. Again this is valuable as it leaves a written trail not only for negative issues that may possibly lead to future NJP or seperation procedures but also for award bullets and recognition. Also don't forget a counseling doesn't always have to be negative. If your troop does something to stand out from their peers let them know. If it is not quite something that merits an award it is still worth taking the time to give a positive counseling besides letting your troops know you appreciate their efforts again enough of these can justify an award of an AAM or ARCOM.

Hoskie, if you were recently promoted to NCO, please update your rank on your profile. It is still showing Specialist.

Of course. It is your job to perform couselings in order to professionally develop your subordinates and mold them into the soldiers and future leaders that they need to become. I used to give initial counselings to my soldiers right after they were assigned to me (regardless of if they were actually new) and of course monthly counselings. Then I would also give counselings based on specific kinds of performance, good and bad. I believe that the last of these serves two purposes; if they are a shitbag constantly then it gives you a paper trail to later go on to possibly UCMJ if necessary, but also if they are a badass, then it gives you records to bring up the chain to do great things for the soldier (i.e. recommendations for awards, schools, and boards). Counseling also serves a purpose for junior leaders (your E5s mostly) teaching them to perfect a professional writing style and time that they will later use to write awards and NCOERs, and writing is a skill that transfers into nearly every profession outside of the military as well.

You are so right that you should be able to balance good comments with the negative. It takes more effort and thought to come up with legitimate positives, but you are mentoring people, and nobody likes to feel they are not valued. Very few people are all bad, so good mentors try to open and close with something positive.

Yes. Absolutely! Initial counseling and monthly counseling sessions are essential tools to enhance a soldier performance in the field and back in garrison. These tools are very useful throughout a soldiers entire career. It's a great tool to measure a soldiers progress. Good or bad. It gives the subordinate and the leader the opportunity to measure progress been made and challenges that impede progress. It's used as a career pathway to promotions, schools, training, and other career development opportunities.