“The hardest thing to attend to is that which is closest to ourselves, that which is most constant and familiar. And this closest “something” is, precisely, ourselves, our own habits and ways of doing things.”
– John Dewey
WHAT IS COACHING SUPERVISION?
Having supervision is a fundamental part of continuing personal and professional development for coaches. Supervision provides a disciplined space in which the supervisee can reflect on particular work and client situations and relationships, and on the reactivity and patterns they evoke in the mind. The process of transforming these in supervision can profoundly benefit the client, their organisation and the professional practise of the coach.
The Association of Coaching gives a definition of Supervision as “A formal and protected time for facilitating a coach´s in-depth reflection on their practise with a trained Coaching Supervisor.”
The EMCC definition is “A safe space for reflective dialogue with a practicing supervisor, supporting the supervisee’s practice, development and well-being.”
Supervision addresses three key perspectives:
- To ensure the supervisee maintains appropriate professional standards.
- To facilitate the development of the supervisee’s professional practice.
- To provide support for the supervisee’s well-being
Hawkins and Smith describe the 3 functions in more detail in the following way:
Formative – to focus on a developmental perspective allowing growth in competency, capability and capacity as both a coaching practitioner but also a reflective practitioner.
Restorative – to encourage and support you, provide you with a place to bring issues and concerns about your coaching practice and client relationships and to support your wellbeing.
Normative – to uphold the professionalism of coaching. A quality control. To ensure your safety and the safety of your client. To explore any ethical or moral dilemma relating to your coaching. Looking at gaps in training, blind spoits, vulnerabilities.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF COACHING SUPERVISION?
- Coaching supervision gives regular and consistent attention to maintaining the quality of your coaching practice.
- Continual opportunity for enhancing your coaching skills.
- Dedicated time for reflection on your coaching endeavours and identification of optimal coaching approaches.
- Access to materials and resources to deepen your comprehension of supervision and strengthen your capacity for self-supervision.
HOW WILL THE SESSIONS BE STRUCTURED AND WHAT HAPPENS?
- Sessions are available via telephone, online, or in-person.
- Onsite supervision sessions at your location may be arranged if you have multiple coaches needing supervision and a corporate payment rate is applicable.
- All online sessions will be recorded and provided to you afterward for additional learning and development opportunities.
During the session itself, the primary focus typically revolves around delving into real-life coachee case studies. Prior to the session, you’ll be prompted to prepare by reflecting on recent coaching situations that you’ve found challenging, jotting down brief notes about the circumstances.
You’ll also be encouraged to share success stories and instances where you felt you were performing at your best as a coach. This approach allows us to capitalise on your strengths and deepen your understanding of them.
Preparation for supervision usually occurs a few days before our session, often through innovative and creative methods.
I suggest committing to working together for a minimum of one year, enabling you to establish overarching developmental goals for your coaching over a 12-month period. This framework contextualises individual supervision sessions, allowing for the monitoring and measurement of your growth and improvement over the long term.
The frequency of sessions throughout the year is flexible, ranging from monthly to bi-monthly, six-weekly, or quarterly. My recommendation is a minimum of 6 sessions per year.
Sessions typically last one or one and a half hours, agreed upon in advance and generally remaining consistent unless specifically requested otherwise.
If you don’t have a specific case in mind, you may bring up questions or concerns related to your coaching practice for exploration. Alternatively, we can discuss any overarching themes you’ve noticed in your current coaching work.
Similar to coaching, the focus of supervision is on facilitating your self-discovery of the questions you are asking. Furthermore, it directs attention to the broader system, enabling you to analyse coaching situations and dilemmas from various perspectives, including those of the coachee and beyond.
As we navigate through discussions, it’s likely that some of the dynamics between us will mirror those between you and your coachee. My role will be to allow us time to investigate these patterns and to help you identify any unconscious patterns that may emerge.
In my role as your supervisor, my questions are crafted to guide you toward your own solutions. Additionally, I may act as a mentor, sharing relevant resources and materials to support your coaching development when appropriate.
Anna qualified as an accredited EMCC Global Mentor Supervisor (ESIA) in 2024.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Contact Anna for more information
+49 (0) 176 84242729 | [email protected]
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Anna is a certified Coach and Mentor by the ICF. The Mentor Programmes offered by Anna are certified by the ICF and qualify as 10 hours of Mentoring for credentialing candidates on the path to ACC or PCC certification.