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CHAPTER 2
COUNSELING SERVICE MEMBERS
This chapter discusses counseling techniques,
financial responsibility, medical boards, limited duty,
humanitarian assignment, and hardship discharge
procedures. We also discuss Navy assignment policy,
types and locations of duty stations, overseas service,
the enlisted duty preference form, and Enlisted Navy
Career Options for Reenlistment Reporting (ENCORE).
The information contained in this chapter will help you
whenever the need arises to counsel or interview
personnel concerning any of these areas.
COUNSELING
As a Personnelman first class (PN1) or Chief
Personnelman (PNC), counseling personnel is one of
your responsibilities. Counseling service members must
be done as often as required. As a PN1 or PNC, you will
provide guidance and advice to your workers and your
customers to help them personally and professionally.
As a junior PN, you gained experience in counseling
personnel the first time you checked in or checked out
individuals. The counseling process began when you
had a conversation with a customer and you provided
information and advice.
It takes time to gain the skills necessary to be a
successful counselor. The more you counsel personnel,
the more you learn to spot areas where you need to
improve. In learning how to counsel personnel, you
must remember that all individuals are different. You
also must remember to treat all persons with dignity and
respect.
There are many types of counseling sessions. Some
types are customer assistance, career intentions,
performance evaluation, outstanding or substandard
performance, and Fleet Reserve counseling sessions. As
a PN, customer assistance counseling sessions are the
most common.
You are in a customer service-oriented occupational
field where the customer is your first priority. Provide
customers with the answers they are searching for. If
possible, have the particular reference source available
whenever you counsel. This shows that your
information is credible.
When dealing with your workers, establish and
maintain counseling file folders on each individual. File
in each individual’s folder his or her counseling sheets.
The counseling sheets provide you with information
about a person’s accomplishments and personal
conduct. When the evaluation period approaches, for
example, you will have sufficient information to
document each person’s Performance.
Your workers’ counseling sheets should contain
both positive and negative information and must be
made available to the members on request. Counsel
members not only when they commit serious mistakes
or need guidance to get them back on track, but also
when their performance is noteworthy and requires
recognition. Have your subordinate sign the counseling
sheet. If a member refuses to sign a counseling sheet that
contains derogatory comments, sign the sheet yourself
and get another senior person to certify that the
counseling session actually took place.
COUNSELING METHODS AND
TECHNIQUES
The following information will help you with
counseling sessions and also help you become more
aware of things you can do to help individuals. The use
of these techniques will depend on the particular
circumstances.
Office Space
Choose an office or area away from excessive traffic
and noise. The office for a counseling session must be
easily accessible. A quiet and private space provides a
better opportunity for concentration as well as a relaxed
atmosphere. This is necessary so the member will feel
free to relate problems or desires.
Planning the Interview
Find out as much as you can in advance about the
member before you begin the interview process. You
should review the member’s service record, if possible,
and also ask officers and petty officers who know and
work with the individual about the member’s
performance. Based on what you find out about the
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