Counselors are particularly effective at solving people's problems. They impress others with their warmth, empathy and understanding. Their optimism makes it easy to look for the good in others. Counselors prefer to deal with others by building long-standing relationships. As a good listener and a willing ear for problems, a counselor offers suggestions gently and refrains from imposing his or her ideas on others. 

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Counselors tend to be overly tolerant and patient with non-producers. Under pressure, they may have difficulty confronting performance problems. Counselors may be indirect when issuing orders, making demands or disciplining others. By adopting the attitude that "people are important," counselors may place less emphasis on task accomplishment. They sometimes require help in setting and meeting realistic deadlines. 

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Counselors often take criticism as a personal affront, but they respond well to attention and compliments for well-done assignments. When in a position of responsibility, counselors tend to be attentive to the quality of working conditions and provide adequate recognition for members of their group.