1-10 you with their problems. In other cases, you will have to recognize  the  existence  of  a  problem  and  discover  its nature  on  your  own.  You  should  be  able  to  recognize changes in behavior  that  often  signal  problems.  Some indicators   of   an   individual’s   need   for   help   may   be declining   job   performance,   changes   in   attitude,   or withdrawal   from   friends   and   associates.   Difficulty getting   to   work   on   time,   constant   demands   on   a supervisor’s time, and rebellion against authority or the system in general often indicate personal problems. Do you  remember  the  old  saying  about  20  percent  of  the people  causing  80  percent  of  the  problems?  You  can expect   to   spend   80   percent   to   90 percent   of   your “personnel  admin”  time  on  20 percent  of  the  people. Your job as a supervisor is to get 100 percent team effort from your assigned workers. When counseling is necessary, no matter what the reason, you should first try to “set the stage.” What does that  mean?  If  possible,  wait  until  after  normal  work hours  or  at  least  until  a  lull  occurs  in  the  tempo  of operations to talk with the individual. Try to find a quiet place where interruptions will not occur. You may have difficulty   finding   a   quiet   place   in   many   operating environments, but do the best you can. Your quiet place may be an office or a vacant corner of the hangar deck, but try to get as much privacy as circumstances allow. Nondirective counseling occurs when you allow your subordinates to determine the direction of sessions. Your primary task is to listen to what they are saying. Show you  are  actively  listening  by  reacting  to  what  is  said. Occasionally restate what has been said. Try to develop a nonevaluative style of listening and responding. That will  encourage  individuals  to  open  up  and  work  out frustrations,    fears,    and    worries    without    fear    of embarrassment.  Often,  simply  letting  people  talk  out problems can help them find a solution. Use occasional, general  questions  to  guide  the   conversation.   Avoid questions that can be answered “yes” or “no.” Often your counseling efforts will consist of little more    than    providing    information,    pointing    out infractions, or pointing out failure to use common sense. How   you   counsel   will   depend   entirely   upon   your personality and the personality of the individual receiving the counseling. Use common sense in developing your approach. At other times you will have to work a little harder to get to the root of a problem and help find a solution.  When  an  individual  approaches  you  with  a request   for   specific   information   or   your   opinion, provided it is of a professional nature and not a personal nature, guide them to a resolution. Exercise caution when expressing opinions, however, as they can become loaded guns if not carefully thought out and expressly worded. If the concern is of a personal nature, provide them with sources of help. The Navy has trained professionals for this  sort  of  help.  We  all  want  to  help  our  shipmates; however, caution should  be  exercised  when  providing assistance with personal matters. You, as a frontline supervisor, are the first link in spotting  problems.  You  are  in  daily  contact  with  the workers in your unit or division. Be sure you know how to spot problems and counsel your workers. If you can't solve a problem, pass it up the chain of command. If you ignore it, it may grow into a bigger problem. Don't  be  afraid  to  seek  help  when  faced  with  an unfamiliar situation. Your chain of command, chaplain's office, legal officer, and personnel office often can help solve problems or offer advice. Be aware of the resources available  to  you.  The  morale  and  job  performance  of your people depend on your ability to manage  human resources. Unless you make a conscious effort to develop that  ability,  your  leadership  will  never  reach  its  full potential. REVIEW 3 QUESTIONS Q1.    How can you train an unskilled subordinate while performing a task? Q2.    When  you  determine  safety  requirements  for  a task, what is a shelf-life requirement? Q3.    What  documents  can  be  used  to  determine  the tools that are needed for a specific task? Q4.    In order to track your crew’s progress, what must it be measured against? Q5.    Task   performance   standards   consist   of   what factors? Q6.    When you give a status report to your supervisor, what is meant by the four B’s? Q7.    What   type   of   feedback   is   given   when   job performance standards are not being met?