To echo what most have said already, recording the session is important, but the most important part is the conversation. Make an effort to get the counselled individual to share their perspective as well.

One good way to do this is to share some questions in advance that you want to discuss during the counseling. This can be in regard to their performance, but it can also be a way to receive feedback about the organization and yourself as well.

Secondly, during performance counselling, it is important to get the counselled’s perspective on things so that you can understand why things are going well or poorly. Based on understanding this, your subordinate’s goals, and the organizations goals, you can develop learning opportunities.