Coaching Supervision
What is Coaching Supervision?
Coaching supervision is a collaborative process in which the supervisor
supports the supervisee in reflecting on and developing themselves,
their practice, and their client relationships – resulting
in increased effectiveness for the benefit of their clients and
related stakeholders.
Supervision provides a safe and supportive space to share and be
curious, to slow down and reflect deeply on successes, challenges,
doubts, and whatever is drawing your attention. It promotes increased
awareness of the coach, their coaching relationships, coaching interactions
and what is and is not working.
Supervision is a place to be okay with not knowing, to let go of
having to prove yourself and to experiment with new ways of expressing
yourself in service of your clients.
The approach and content will vary depending on the style, needs
and wishes of the coach, and the particular emphasis, strengths
and ways of working of the supervisor. As in coaching, it is a partnership
that evolves and is created together. In general, the main areas
of focus cover:
- Development of the supervisee’s
- Skills
- Understanding
- Capacity
- Use of self
- Resourcing and sustaining the supervisee as a person
- Well-being
- Nourishment
- Processing of interactions and emotions
- Quality of the supervisee’s work
- Results
- Ethics and Standards
- Boundaries
- Blind spots
Why engage in Coaching Supervision?
The over-arching purpose is to be a better coach, to develop and
support your clients in achieving the results they want and care
about. In relation to this, the benefits of supervision include:
- Continuous personal development which is central to continuous
professional development
- Who you are is how you coach
- Increased presence, resourcefulness, confidence, and use of
self
- Enhanced understanding of clients and relationships
- A safe space and support to reflect on and work with challenging
client situations
- Exploring current and possible interactions with clients
- Support in maintaining and enhancing coaching quality, standards,
ethics and boundaries
- Meeting the requirements of organisations and professional
bodies
- An appreciative space to acknowledge and celebrate success
The various professional coaching bodies provide their own definitions
and perspectives, some aspects of which have been included above.
You can find out more at:
Association
for Coaching (AC)
European
Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)
International
Coaching Federation (ICF)
Difference between Coaching Supervision and Coaching
In coaching the coach supports the coachee, and appropriate stakeholders,
in setting the agenda and working toward the results they want in
different areas. The coach does not determine or limit the client’s
agenda.
In supervision, while the coach themself may benefit greatly, the
context and agenda is always related to the coach’s clients
and how to serve them better as a coach.
Supervision builds on common coaching competencies and models and
sometimes includes ‘coaching the coach’. Additionally
it can put a stronger emphasis on supported reflection and experiment,
and has it’s own models and competencies.
Difference between Coaching Supervision and Mentor Coaching
In the early days of mentor coaching, there was a broad remit
which included much of what is now covered in coaching supervision,
including reflecting on client situations, interactions and relationships
and how to improve them.
In recent years, the International Coach Federation (ICF) and others
have developed their own specific definitions of mentor coaching
related to credentialing. From this perspective:
A Mentor Coach primarily supports a coach in achieving the levels
of coaching competency and building skills in the Core Competencies.
Coaching Supervision offers a coach a richer and broader opportunity
for support and development. In Coaching Supervision, there may
be a greater focus on reflective practice and the being of the coach.
Coaching Supervision provides a wide-angled lens to review one’s
coaching practice with a fellow practitioner.
How is Coaching Supervision done?
Coaching supervision can be done individually, in a group or as
a combination. Individual sessions give you more time to focus in
depth with individual attention, while groups sessions can benefit
from the additional interactions, input and support of fellow participants.
Sessions are conducted virtually using Zoom.
Sessions are often arranged at regular intervals with the frequency
depending on the supervisee’s wishes and needs, the number
of clients and sessions they provide, and the requirements of related
organisations and professional bodies. Sessions may also be scheduled
in response to particular challenges that arise. Coaches often choose
to have 4-8 weeks between sessions.
You will usually come to supervision with particular client(s),
challenges, themes or patterns to reflect on. The result that you
are looking for might be a specific outcome or we may work with
‘what wants to emerge’ and allow a new way forward to
come out of new awareness. You may go away with action steps or
you may want to take time to be with new understanding and intentions,
to reflect further and to see what unfolds. We will co-create a
way of working that suits you and serves your clients.
Contracting for Supervision overview
Contracting covers practicalities, confidentiality and boundaries,
mutual expectations and concerns, and if relevant the requirements
of particular organizations and professional bodies.
Some of it, including payments, confidentiality and practicalities
will be in a written agreement and some of it will be covered in
our initial discussion and adjusted over time to match your unfolding
understanding, situation and requirements.
I will support you on-going in clarifying what you want and need
– including working with another supervisor or professional
if that would serve you better.
Before our initial discussion, it will help if you reflect on your
particular purpose, needs, requirements, concerns, and preferred
way of working. Then together we can see if we have a good connection
or if another supervisor would be a better fit at this time.
If you are considering group supervision with colleagues, then
you can additionally reflect on the required frequency and timing
of sessions. Also consider how you would like to structure them,
and whether everyone works each session or whether we explore one
or two situations and each participant gets their turn over time.
Fees
These vary depending on your experience and situation, and together
we can discuss what works for you.
Fees per 1 hour session are generally between £150-£250
Fees per 1.5 hour session are generally between £200-350
Reductions are available for blocks of sessions, paid in advance.
Group supervision sessions are usually 3 hours and fees are higher
and depend on the number of participants. They are shared between
the group.
If supervision is arranged with an organisation then fees are
higher again to reflect the additional work involved.
To find out more about how we might work together, email me
at: duncan@self-factor.com
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