How to solve people problems at work

In the last few years, counselling has become something of a growth industry. It seems that no major life event, whether joyous or traumatic, can take place without being accompanied by an offer of counselling. This growth has extended to the workplace, where effective managers have adopted the very best of counselling skills and adapted them to improve face-to-face communications with their staff.

Using a professional approach, with the use of known skills that work, and which treat people with dignity, respect, and valuing, is the only course that can succeed.

However, it is impossible to predict how each instance of counselling will develop. It depends on the individual, the manager, and the problem. This being said, there are a number of principles that can be applied to all types of people problems and, if followed, that will result in positive outcomes.

Let’s take a look at 4 examples of common problems and the principles that help solve them.

Performance problems

No manager can afford the problem of poor performance for any length of time. Poor performance affects your business, undermines your management, and affects others in the team. If it is new, unexpected, or relatively minor, counselling should always be your preferred first option. Sit down with the employee and talk through the problem, the reasons, and the solutions.

Make sure you have accurate information about the current performance level. Then at the challenging stage, contrast the current performance with the performance expected by the organisation and ask the employee how they are going to close the gap. Only if the employee digs his or her heels in and refuses to come up with solutions should you consider further options such as some kind of discipline.

Sickness absence

Many managers flinch from getting involved with employees who are absent through sickness or injury on the grounds that there is nothing they can do. If this is the case with you, then your organisation first needs to develop a sickness and absence policy that allows you to manage cases just as you would any other absence.

Even if it is difficult finding a quick and easy solution, you should still hold regular meetings to discuss things with the employee. These can range from the straightforward back-to-work catch-up, – which is a miniature version of a counselling session, – to the more formal home visit. One of the things you need to get clear is that being “on the sick” does not absolve people from their responsibilities as employees. Like all forms of people problem, the responsibility to decide how to get back to work rests with the employee.

Career counselling

Helping employees with career plans is one of the more positive kinds of counselling. In many cases, employees may start the ball rolling by asking you for help, possibly because they do not feel they are in the right job or because they are ambitious for promotion or a move to another career.

Personal relationships

Personal relationship problems are likely to be one of the most difficult issues you will have to face. These can range from personality clashes between colleagues to inappropriate relationships such as sexual liaisons to personal problems such as body odour.

Many managers are sometimes reluctant to get involved with these issues as they can be delicate, sensitive and embarrassing. Sometimes, the form of counselling offered may have to be discreet and private. Nonetheless, the same principles apply as with all other types of people problem. First, identify the facts of the problem; second, demonstrate the gap between this situation and what is required; third, help the employee find their solution to the problem.

Key Points

• When people have performance problems at work, counselling is nearly always a more effective solution than discipline.

• A performance counselling session works because it avoids the overtones of judgment and accusation associated with discipline.

• A corridor chat with everyone returning from short spells of sickness can be seen as a form of “quick counselling”.

• A visit to people’s homes when they are off sick for a long period of time is a form of “off-the-job counselling”.

• A career counselling session can be given as part of an appraisal scheme or whenever someone needs help with personal development.

• Counselling after a bereavement may be needed if work is affected.