Background: NCOs play an important role in the professional development of junior enlisted Soldiers by training, educating, and counseling Soldiers to improve performance of present and future duties in accordance with the Army Ethic. To support NCOs in this task, the Counseling Enhancement Tool (piloted as the Soldier and Leader Development Tool) was designed to assist NCOs in having quality conversations with Soldiers that promote the professional development of junior NCOs during the performance counseling process. The CET provides guidance for interactive, collaborative, two-way conversations about Soldier development for the purpose of improving performance.
The CET is based on motivational interviewing, which is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication designed to strengthen personal motivation for, and commitment to goals by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change. The Talk Like a Leader (TLaL), an empirically supported communication skills training developed for Army NCOs, provides skill-based training that supports the CET. (Contact Dr. April Sanders at the Army Research Institute Fort Hood for more information on the TLaL; april.d.sanders9.civ@army.mil).
Aim: to develop a tool that, through note taking, would facilitate organizing one’s thoughts, events, and priorities to improve the effectiveness of written and verbal communication
Purpose: The CET was designed to aid leaders in fostering an open dialogue between themselves and their subordinates regarding the developmental progress of the subordinate. The tool is not intended to make evaluative decisions, but rather maximize existing opportunities for NCOs and their Soldiers to share their observations, discuss expectations, and develop collaborative plans to increase goal attainment.
General overview: The CET provides seven topic areas, gleaned from doctrine and research, relevant to all junior enlisted Soldiers. These topics should be considered a minimum for developmental counseling, rather than an exhaustive list of potential topics. There may be other areas that you and your Soldiers need to discuss regarding development and these should be added into the discussion. The CET consists of two parts: a Soldier Form and a Leader Form. The Soldier Form is designed to prepare junior enlisted Soldiers for the performance counseling by engaging in self-evaluation exercises. The Leader form provides prompts for the NCO to walk through a conversation about developmental counseling with the Soldier. Both forms include embedded instructions in the interactive PDF form and expanded instructions here. Each form also includes the same seven focus areas to be discussed:
Tactical and Technical Proficiency; Communicates Effectively; Exhibits Effort; Exhibits Personal Discipline; Contributes to the Team; Exhibits Fitness, Military Bearing, and Appearance; and Manages Personal Matters.
Click on the links to the right to download the detailed instructions and both CET forms (Soldier and Leader forms).