The Counseling Pill (Part 3 of 4)
Every now and then when I would patronize a business establishment as a customer I would take the opportunity to briefly ask the employee who is assisting me some questions about how they feel about the company. Sadly quite often I would receive 
replies such as; “we are only looked at as slaves, our pay is… ” Or “it makes no sense suggesting ideas, no one listens anyway” and to me the most disturbing of all “we are nothing but a number to this company.” What’s really scary is that negative feelings such as these are extremely contagious, and if left untreated can spread like a wild fire throughout a company.
As a result the outward symptoms that can rear their ugly head are; low morale, decreased productivity, high employee turnover, increased frustration levels, lack of 
motivation, poor work ethics, negative attitudes, declining performance levels and the list could go on. Any combination or even one standing alone can be lethal to any company, blurring its vision, sapping its life energy, and crippling its ability to move forward in achieving its goals.
A “counselling pill” manager is constantly observing their work environment, and always engaged and focused on ensuring that prevention mechanisms are in place and working. In the event any of the negative symptoms happen to bypass the defenses and 
begin to rear their ugly head, the “counselling pill” manager by being proactive and immediately tackling the situation head on, safeguards the company most valuable asset, the personnel.
Pete Sanders in his book First Steps in Counselling states “It is in the nature of helping and counselling to be a process moving towards something rather than arriving at a state of completion.” A “counselling pill” manager is acutely aware of the internal and external issues that can affect the performance level of their direct reports. By emphasizing and focusing on developing, open, honest and trusting relationships he or she will create a working environment where employees are not afraid to come in and discuss their problems.
The most productive workplace counselling sessions finds the manager listening and being empathic for ninety percent of the meeting. The other ten percent is not about the manager telling them what they should do, but is about the manager working with them to discover their own answers and reassuring them of his or hers continued 
support beyond the session.
It is human nature to always be progressing, always moving forward and it is when we begin to feel lost, trapped or stagnated that we may begin to lose sight of our true potential thus becoming disheartened and disillusioned, ready to give up and throw in the towel. The “counselling manager” is the constant reminder to their direct reports that they can overcome any obstacle that stands in their way to achieving the greatness they deserve to have.
Keith M. Dean
The Businessof U