Step 4 - Explain the Effects

This is where you show the effects of their behavior on the (individual, team, group, class, club, organization, etc.) ... at this point of the discussion is where the supervisor needs to explain how the performance (in third person – pointing to the performance on the table) impacts the individual, the team, and the organization. If you can make some type of physical gesture that removes the “behavior” from the person and gives you a “thing” to look at as something different than the person, that will be the best way to keep them separate.
Don’t forget about the Fundamental Attribution Error. Western culture intensifies this error, as we emphasize individual freedom and autonomy and we are socialized to prefer dispositional factors (giving blame or credit to the person) to situational ones. When we are playing the role of observer, which is largely when we look at others, we make this fundamental attribution error. When we are thinking about ourselves (Actor), however, we will tend to make situational attributions.
Be sure to include how their individual performance is tied to the team and the organizational goals. It is important for this step because it provides different perspectives and creates a sense of “it impacts others too.” To do this, be prepared to show the counselee how their behavior impacts others. Here is an example of this type of statement concerning talking during presentations by other employees.
Counselor: “When I see someone continually talking to the people around them during presentations from other employees (behavior); to me, it seems distracting to the rest of the group. I feel it makes the presenters uncomfortable to the point that they feel they must interrupt the meeting to ask people to stop. In addition, I feel it shows disrespect and that the presenter isn’t valued. I also sense that it makes those around miss what may be important to them, and they may miss some specific information that is vital to our organizational success.”
By explaining the effects on others, from the primary leader’s perspective (the counselor’s perspective), and showing how it creates some dysfunction for others and the organization, the behavior becomes larger than the person, as well as the focus of the discussion.
Step 4 addresses the usual failure of: “Fail to focus on Clear behavior expectations to achieve organizational goals.”