MSG Martinis Butler 29196 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>An NCO felt disrespected the following months after he received his initial counseling. He wanted to know why was he being treated like a lower enlisted Soldier, being given a monthly counseling every month. A monthly counseling lets them know where they stand that month and if  your screwing up that month instead of waiting 3 months. Possibly 3 months may be to late  if they were screwing up and they could find themselves either relieved or receiving an Article 15, by that time its to late. Thoughts? 2013-12-30T05:26:52-05:00 MSG Martinis Butler 29196

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>An NCO felt disrespected the following months after he received his initial counseling. He wanted to know why was he being treated like a lower enlisted Soldier, being given a monthly counseling every month. A monthly counseling lets them know where they stand that month and if  your screwing up that month instead of waiting 3 months. Possibly 3 months may be to late  if they were screwing up and they could find themselves either relieved or receiving an Article 15, by that time its to late. Thoughts?

2013-12-30T05:26:52-05:00 2013-12-30T05:26:52-05:00 SSgt Private RallyPoint Member 29198

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I wouldn't like that but I do see the reasons behind it,  just like our Commander's Call and we worked all three shifts each week or so.

2013-12-30T05:38:10-05:00 2013-12-30T05:38:10-05:00 SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member 29813

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>SFC, </p><p>In my opinion NCOs should be counseled quarterly. I believe soldiers are counseled monthly because as leaders we are still trying to mold them and mentor them before they join the NCO ranks. Once you pin on stripes you are held to a completely different standard and you should know what looks like right and what looks like wrong. Now the key to that is actually following through and counseling NCOs quarterly. My current squad leader makes sure I am counseled quarterly and if I make small mistakes (after all I am a new SGT) then he corrects me on the spot or pulls me to the side and lets me know what I did wrong or what I could've done better. Most NCOs who receive Article 15s knew they were in the wrong before the UCMJ took place. Again, this is just my opinion.</p>

2013-12-31T00:12:27-05:00 2013-12-31T00:12:27-05:00 SSG Robert Burns 29840

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I don't believe in timelines for counseling anyone.  I believe in counseling as it is needed.  I think if anyone is being counseled one time every 3 months, then someone isn't doing all they can for them.  I think if you have counseling on a timeline, they should be a review of what you have already been counseling them on; follow-ups so to speak if anything.

2013-12-31T00:39:18-05:00 2013-12-31T00:39:18-05:00 SFC Grant Johnson 29867

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I think that as NCO's many of us feel that we are "big boys" and "big girls", that we don't need our hand being held all the time. That's what monthly counseling feels like to me. Monthly WRITTEN counseling. For my subordinate NCO's, verbal counseling is a constant. Whether they do something good or bad. We're all professionals. Unless I have a poor performer who I want to influence into becoming a solid performer by creating a packet on them, I see no need to put anything on paper outside of their quarterly. I think that even though your intentions may be good, subordinate NCO's may feel that it is micromanaging, and a sign of mistrust in their abilities and competence.<br>

2013-12-31T01:32:21-05:00 2013-12-31T01:32:21-05:00 CSM Private RallyPoint Member 29872

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>You have some valid points from both sides SFC Butler, with a young NCO I feel it is important to counsel them monthly but I wouldn't necessarily say with a 4856. As a SFC, the platoon sergeant should be sitting down discussing monthly with their SGT/E5 population on where they stand good and bad. As rifle company 1SG I made it my responsibility to bring in every SSG and have a counseling sessions with them. Sometimes I would do this in my office or while over lunch. I wouldn't just discuss what they did that month but where they feel they were among their peers and what they could do better for themselves or to assist their peers. Obviously some NCOs feel that they might be getting treated unfairly because they are being counseled monthly but sometimes it's out of our control, as in my unit that requires all NCOs to receive counseling monthly. Now we all have seen cut and paste counseling before and honestly that is what we should be avoiding if we are required to counsel monthly. In my humble opinion I think it's far more important to counsel NCOs monthly than a Soldier because that NCO has more responsibilities, and needs the time and attention to help mold them into leaders that can effectively be counselors themselves. It's funny to me how the Army emphasizes counseling but yet has never created one school to teach leaders HOW to actually be a counselor and no PLDC or WLC has not nor ever will teach our young NCOs how to! 

2013-12-31T01:41:22-05:00 2013-12-31T01:41:22-05:00 SFC Charles W. Robinson 29925

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>You give counseling as needed.  The quarterly counseling is the minimum only.  We take care of Soldiers by giving them the attention they need and deserve; not by ignoring them and doing only the minimum.  We set the standard.

2013-12-31T03:54:19-05:00 2013-12-31T03:54:19-05:00 SSG (ret) William Martin 30782

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>SFC Butler, If you, once a month, gave me an AAR of my entire month I worked for you and I walked away know what I need to do to fix things, how to make some things better and what to continue to do great on I would be very thankful.

2014-01-01T17:36:33-05:00 2014-01-01T17:36:33-05:00 SFC Gary Fox 30952

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I believe event counseling is important for both good and bad events.  Timely feedback is an important element of mentoring and developing the up and coming leaders.

2014-01-01T21:59:56-05:00 2014-01-01T21:59:56-05:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 30954

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>SFC Butler, 1SG is right. There is nothing wrong with counseling an NCO monthly nor are you treating them like a lower enlisted. When I pinned the rank of Sergeant, CSM Loe gave me the best advice I could have ever been given, “As a Non Commissioned Officer, you along with your Soldiers should know where you’re at in your military career. Good, Bad or Indifferent, you should be counseled at least once a month regardless if it’s each quarter”. I have asked and sometimes pushed my Chain of Command to at least do this for me as I did this for my NCO’s. My last Battalion CSM (Qurik) backed up CSM loe’s words. That was good to hear. Just let your NCO’s know, it’s to better them on their Career Track.</p>

2014-01-01T22:02:38-05:00 2014-01-01T22:02:38-05:00 1SG Private RallyPoint Member 31061

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I applaud the monthly counseling but not if its sole purpose is for screw ups. Quarterly counseling is the minimum standard to meet. During that quarter there should be plenty of opportunities to conduct performance and event oriented counseling leaving the quarterly requirement as a summary. From my foxhole that could mean leader and team PRT and weapons readiness, performance on past or future promotion/recognition boards, job book status, inspections, and certifications. Beyond that, counseling subordinates is about making them better leaders, Soldiers, and humans. The only difference between counseling junior enlisted and NCOs is the the additional two responsibilities all NCOs live by. Accomplishment of their mission and the welfare of their Soldiers.

2014-01-02T00:42:07-05:00 2014-01-02T00:42:07-05:00 SFC Martez Richmond 31152

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>SFC Butler, I too agree with the previous responses in regards to counseling NCOs on a monthly basis if done correctly.  I feel that not only will it benefit the NCO in regards to letting them know how their performance has been for that month but it will show and teach them the right way to conduct a counseling session with their subordinates.  Too often do I now see NCOs improperly conducting counseling sessions.  Either the counseling is poorly written or they fail to counsel in the right setting.  It will become muscle memory and become a norm for our NCOs to properly conduct counseling's.

2014-01-02T05:58:45-05:00 2014-01-02T05:58:45-05:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 31296

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>NCOs are typically not counseled on a monthly basis but I don't see why the NCO should be offended by getting counseled that way. You are right, a monthly counseling would let them know where they stand but if the NCO screwed up then what he/she needs is is an event oriented counseling not a monthly. Monthly counselings are used to assess performance. Things that would be considered for Article 15s are usually UCMJ article violations and should be written as an event oriented counseling.<br>

2014-01-02T12:40:12-05:00 2014-01-02T12:40:12-05:00 MSG Jose Colon 88611

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>My SGT/E-5 was asking how to submit an EO complaint against me in Korea because I she felt discriminated upon, since I was counseling her every month along with my SPC/E-4. I brought the EO OIC for her, and when the EO OIC asked her to produce the counseling statements, she was dumbfounded to read that I was commending her for her outstanding performance and was getting ready to recommend her to go to the /SSG board soon.</p><p> </p><p>I believe in counseling. Soldier, Officer, NCO, Civilian, it doesn't matter to me; you should receive proper feedback regularly.</p>

2014-03-29T22:45:56-04:00 2014-03-29T22:45:56-04:00 SFC Benjamin Harrison 88616

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If an NCOs feelings are being trampled because of a monthly counseling session aka mentoring session, perhaps this person should not be wearing chevrons and holding the title of NCO. As a young buck Sergeant I would request that my rater provide me an azimuth check monthly so i could grow and improve my abilities to lead. I still do this today, but now I request this azimuth check from multiple sources.

2014-03-29T22:52:26-04:00 2014-03-29T22:52:26-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 88617

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Throughout my career I wish I'd had someone give me monthly counseling statements, or even quarterly.  In the NG I often only get my NCOER once a year and that was it. I often had to guess how I was doing because I didn't get much feedback, especially when I was an E4.  Monthly, Bi-Monthly, or even quarterly counselings would have been very appreciated by me.  It is discouraging to not get feedback.  I'd rather get bad feedback than no feedback because then I'd at least know where I stood and what I needed to improve.<br>

2014-03-29T22:53:37-04:00 2014-03-29T22:53:37-04:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 118025

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I like and dislike monthly counseling for NCO's. The reason I like it is that the mentorship from Senior to Junior NCO's is at times, lacking. Monthly counseling forces seniors to mentor junior 1 on 1 at least monthly in a developmental fashion. That said, ideally they should be unnecessary. If senior leaders are doing their job, seniors are continuously monitoring and mentoring junior NCO's continuously. In that case, a 4856 becomes more of a formality.<br /><br />Bottom line is that monthly counseling's are a good idea to ensure that all junior NCO's have their developmental needs met.

2014-05-03T20:16:04-04:00 2014-05-03T20:16:04-04:00 SFC William Swartz Jr 118058

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I used this method more than a few times when counseling my junior NCOs, made it easier to complete their NCOERs when the time came, also gave me more space to spell out the good, bad and indifferent concerning their performance of the past month. I would simply annotate the NCOER Support Form with "See Attached 4856s" and keep them together with the Support Form. Never was an issue with the NCOs themselves nor with my leadership.

2014-05-03T20:52:49-04:00 2014-05-03T20:52:49-04:00 2013-12-30T05:26:52-05:00