How to Approach Counseling a Project Manager When Duties Are Overlooked?

Hi,

Before I proceed with my question, I am in a company whose business nature involves the service maintenance of highways. I would like to know more about how counseling sessions are conducted. Is it appropriate to conduct a counseling session with a Project Manager who fails to carry out his duties properly, especially considering that the Client has failed to provide a Certificate of Completion? The immediate superiors feel that the staff should be given a show cause.

Seeking your advice on this.

Thank you.

Dear Putri Aleeya,

I appreciate your concern over the matter and your suggestion on this.

However, if the immediate superior feels that the staff should be given a show cause, then there is a problem; and a bigger problem if the superior is the disciplinary/competent authority for the subordinate.

In fact, COUNSELING would be needed first, for the "immediate superior" himself (!!) - to make him understand that instead of "show cause" and resorting to stricter disciplinary actions; it would perhaps be more judicious and appropriate that 'counseling' be given; looking into the facts of the case and future performance potential of the staff.

Does the situation warrant this??

HOW A COUNSELING SESSION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED:

Counseling can be of various types to suit various objectives. However, the basic framework that is common is:

- It is generally a one-to-one session;
- It is conducted in a conducive environment, where there should be no interruptions during the session to make it more effective;
- The counselor must be SKILLED in the task;
- The idea is to make the person fully aware and sensitize him about the act and its consequences; to know more from the Counselee (why he did what he did), his views and feelings, whether such behavior can be modified for better outcomes in the future, etc.

Do revert back in case you have further queries.

Warm regards.

Hello Putri Aleeya,

Raj Kumar has touched upon the salient aspects. I would like to address another very important aspect that I have seen being inadvertently missed in such situations: First and foremost, the person who conducts the counseling session MUST—REPEAT MUST—have the full confidence of the person being counseled that they are IMPARTIAL and will not be swayed by any earlier stands of the boss/management. It is crucial to choose such a person to conduct the session. If not, I can assure you that the whole effort will be wasted, and at the end of the day, the sum total of the effort projected to the management will be: THE INDIVIDUAL DIDN'T COOPERATE.

You know the result after that.

Regards,
TS

Thank you very much for the explanation given. I met with the immediate boss and another higher-ranked individual who reports directly to the immediate boss. It was the higher-ranked boss who wanted the Project Manager to be given a show cause. The reason being that the Project Manager's wife had sent a message to the higher-ranked boss stating that her husband was having an affair with his colleague. Essentially, there was an element of grudge and personal problems involved. This was the reason why he wanted a show cause to be issued, and I, as HR, had advised that the Project Manager should be counseled.

Regards,

Putri Aleeya
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia