How many of you do initial counseling on officers that you rate and have been told that they never have been counseled before?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 23:57:32 -0500

I recently completed BN XO time - and was told by my most of my staff that they never received initial counseling or quarterly counselings from their previous rater.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 27 at 2013 11:58 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 23:58:51 -0500

To add to this - I completed initial counseling within 30 days and conducted quarterly counseling religiously!!

Response by LTC Joseph Gross made Dec 6 at 2013 9:23 AM

LTC Joseph Gross — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 09:23:47 -0500

I've gone as long as five years without receiving any counselling at all. Part of that is the nature of my job but that is just an excuse for not doing the job properly. Realistically any counseling I would have received from a rater/SR 12 times zones away would have been worthless.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 19 at 2014 1:42 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:42:19 -0400

MAJ Apticar,

I have to say that you are by far the exception at least on the O side, in my experience. Along with LTC Gross, I have gone for years without receiving any formal counseling at all, whether written or verbal. I would talk to my rater and get some sense of what they wanted, I guess.... Then, about 2 months before evaluation time, it's "I need your support form....Uhm, OK, can I get yours? ....Uhnm, Damn! I need to write mine!"

I like to think it's better on the AC side, but based on what I've heard & seen, I don't think it is. The new ESS system may make that better by demanding that quarterly counseling dates be digitally signed at the time, with some sort of report/gig list being created. Of course, that could just result in a quarterly Skillcraft Drill.

In my current position, I made it a point with each of my senior raters to schedule a face to face initial counseling session, to which I brought a written agenda and took notes. My initial SR then went to Afghanistan for the majority of the rating period, so there were no follow-ups. With my current SR, I also scheduled face to face quarterly counselings & took notes. It made a huge difference.

I did sit all my ratees down for an initial counseling when I came into the unit, or when they did. Quarterlies were hit or miss, I am ashamed to say.