Why don't NCOs give Soldiers positive counseling statements when they're doing a good job?

We get so caught up in the bad we forget the good. Same thing happens with the media. How often do you see someting good as opposed to something bad?

There is nothing better than to call a Soldier and his squad leader into your office. You tell them both to get at Parade Rest, ask them why their there (while they both have a blank stare) and start reading the positive counseling statement. It gets them every time!! It's a rewarding feeling for both counselor and counselee; it sets the Soldier up for complete success and let's them know they are doing a great job!

I see this as multiple problems...

1. (as others have noted) as critical beings, it is easier to see the bad than the good.

2. (as others have also stated) you are often REQUIRED to make the negative counseling, while you are SELDOM required to make the POSITIVE one.

3. (and the real root of the issue as I have seen it) People are "too busy" to do paperwork (read "lazy" in many cases).

I have seen time and again, from seniors AND peers (and I'm ashamed to say, myself as well), that it's pulling teeth just to get a monthly counseling, let alone any kinds of event-based or performance counselings mid-month... 

I had great intentions with my Soldier.  I was going to counsel her effectively, and get her taken care of... and I believe I did a GREAT job with verbal counseling.  But that's as far as it got.  The only paper she got was her initial counseling before I got transferred to a different position and she got a new NCO about two months later.

Most of the time I did my positive counseling verbally throughout the month and put in writing at the end of the month.  Of course there where special circumstances when putting in writing right away (if the situation permitted) was more advantages for the soldier, especially if the soldier worked for someone else.  According to my experience, the soldier that received a verbal (or any type) of positive counseling made a lot more effort to accomplish his/her mission.

As always, my thoughts on the question at hand...
The positive counseling should come during times when the NCO sees the Soldiers doing their job above the standard. A spoken word of appreciation or praise at the time of notice does the same thing, at least in regards to the Soldiers' mentality and morale. Additional comments concerning positive results of the Soldiers' work can, and should be, included in their monthly counseling, without requiring the additional paperwork. Negative counseling, on the other hand, provides an incident-by-incident record of behavior that is acceptable within the standards that the Soldier is expected achieve. Just from my memory of being lower enlisted in the line... "Any counseling statement NOT received between monthly counseling sessions, is a good counseling statement"

I think every NCO should go through a human resources or managing personel course.  If I worked for a civilian boss that only told me all the bad stuff then I would probably not be as effective when working for that boss.  We take for granted that our soldiers just can't quit their jobs like a civilian but they can become those bare minimum or almost minimum soldier that we see in every unit.  We also have to remember it isn't easy to get rid of a bad one.  We should try everything we can to bring a soldier in line and positive meaningful counselings can help to do that.

I recall the Sergeant Major saying something slightly negative about a Marine in the formation.  Really is recognizing him to the group, which is a positive in the eyes of all.  Maybe it's a Marine thing that others wouldn't understand.

In the USMC; there is the "Meritorious Mast", which is actually given by the CO, but started by anyone in the Marine's chain of command to include NCOs.

Beyond being human nature to criticize rather than compliment; I think the other side of why NCOs don't take the time to give Soldiers positive counseling can sadly come down to laziness.  It is a lot of time to write up and issue a proper counseling statement.  More often than not, we as NCOs would rather just give the pat on the back or some other sort of reward for a great job performed by a lower-enlisted service member.  The NCO may just say to himself or herself that it is no big deal; they will just catch it on the monthly counseling but watch that same NCO run to the platoon office to get out of PT to write a 4856 for a Solider who was 2 minutes late for the same PT formation.

SFC McKinley, it is definitely rare, but I've learn from previous Soldiers I work with that dropping a kudos on their behalf into the 1SG or CSM's ears go a long way.  Not to mention as a NCOIC, instead of them coming to give me some props pass that onto my Soldiers.  Not that I've attained my goals yet, but I realize my Soldiers need that motivation and the tangibility of a coin or being called up in front of their peers is a huge motivational factor for them.