Anna-Marie Watson


Taking a Fresh Perspective on Supervision

In today’s guest post performance coach and coach supervisor Anna-Marie Watson shares some of her experience and knowledge….

Taking a Fresh Perspective on Supervision

By Anna-Marie Watson

What is supervision?

“Supervision is the interaction that occurs when a coach periodically brings their coaching work experiences to a coaching supervisor in order to engage in reflective dialogue and collaborative learning for the development and benefit of the coach and their clients”

(Murdoch, 2013)

“Supervision is the process by which a coach with the help of a supervisor, who is not working directly with the client, can attend to understanding better both the client system and themselves as part of the client-coach system, and transform their work”

(Hawkins and Smith, 2006)

Taking a step back to basics, coaching supervision can be split into three distinct parts:

3Rs Supervision

REFRESH

The majority of coaches work solo (unless you integrate an element of co-coaching into your practice) so at some point it’s inevitable you become drawn towards a particular approach, method, or style. That can even break down to “favourite” questions and tools that may reveal more about your preferences than what your client actually needs. Supervision presents the opportunity to view your practice through a broader lens and places the coach-client relationship within a wider context.

Fotolia 69221503 XSHow do you inject a breath of fresh air into your coaching?

RE-ALIGN

Supervision offers the space to align (or on occasions re-align) your coaching practice against defined core competencies, values and ethics. These regulations have been formulated by various associations, for example; International Coach Federation (ICF), European Mentoring, Coaching and Counselling Centre (EMCC) or Association for Coaching (AC) to set standards, ensure professional credibility and maintain quality. There are some variations between each organisation though each document can be used as a convenient “check-list” to review ongoing practice and pin point future areas of professional development.

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat actions do you take to ensure your coaching practice consistently meets professional standards?

RESTORE

Every single coach invests mental, emotional and spiritual energy working with their clients; and there’s a finite quantity before our reserves become depleted. I suspect everyone will have experienced the extremes where you waltz away from a session feeling energised; or leave fuddled and dazed from another. The idea of self-care is often overlooked yet is essential to serve our clients and achieve optimal performance within our coaching practice. Our engrained habitual tendency to place our clients before our own needs means days, weeks and months can become packed with work commitments sandwiched in between family, friends and other life obligations.

Mental health awareness is (thankfully) now firmly on the radar in the UK after a series of high profile campaigns though we’ve probably only seen the tip of the iceberg. The one in four statistic has been quoted time and time again within the media and brings home the scale and sheer number of individuals who experience a mental health challenge within their working careers (NHS Digital, 2016). It’s inevitable that at some point we’ll encounter depression or anxiety ourselves, or work with clients who have encountered them. Our response is key to our well-being and supervision offers the platform to restore our mental, emotional and spiritual energy.

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhen do you set aside time for self-care to recharge your energy?

The term “supervision” can invoke controversial thoughts and feelings that divide the coaching community (Bachkirova, 2011). This stems partly from the fact the benefits of coaching supervision are based primarily on anecdotal evidence as opposed to concrete data. In addition, the concept of supervision can be traced back to the therapeutic and counselling professions; from which the coaching profession has attempted to establish a separate entity over recent years. It’s worth being aware of these mixed opinions and forming your own individual viewpoint which supports your coaching practice.

Finally, the Oxford Dictionary definition: “the action of supervising someone or something”, could trigger certain interpretations that sit juxtaposed to some underpinning coaching philosophies and beliefs; particularly the less directive coaching models such as person-centred. It’s worth remembering supervision is an ongoing series of one-to-one conversations (between supervisor and coach) either in person or virtually, that reflect on previous coaching sessions.

DIFFERENT LENS

There are two key models* which currently form the cornerstone of coaching supervision; the 7-eyed model, which can be traced back to work by Peter Hawkins during the mid 1980s; and David Clutterback’s more recent 7-conversations model. There’s a short and sweet overview of both below, though I’ve left it to each respective expert to explain their thoughts behind the formation and application of each model by way of links to further reading. If you’re interested in discovering more I’d recommended spending some time digesting the content.

  1. The 7-Eyed Model is an integrative model of supervision based on systems theory where everything connects, inter-relates and drives behaviour. The model is divided into seven areas that can be used to review practice and discover new approaches.

http://www.theocm.co.uk/sites/default/files/documents/resources/Peter%20Hawkins_0.pdf

7 Eyed Model

2. The 7-Conversations Model looks beyond the single, external verbal dialogue between the coach and client to delve into a series of internal, reflective dialogues, which take place before, during and after the spoken conversation (Clutterback, 2011)

https://www.davidclutterbuckpartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/Using-the-seven-conversations-in-supervision.pdf

7 Conversations

After pain-staking research online and reaching out to other coaches, I recently opted to enrol on the sixth Oxford Brookes Professional Certificate of Advanced Study in Coaching Supervision** programme. The diverse range of external and internal coaching experience from eleven other delegates from within the private and public sectors in the United Kingdom, Europe and as far afield as Singapore, positively contributed to the depth and breadth of this highly experiential programme.

The blend of pre-course reading, peer-supervision sessions, and a four-day residential course expertly facilitated by Professor Tatiana Bachkirova (who founded the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies) and Peter Jackson (Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University Business School) offered a balanced oversight of theory against practical application (with a reasonable price tag to fit!). If you’re looking to further your coaching development or move into the coaching supervision space, I’d firmly recommend this course.

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat will you do today, to refresh, re-align and restore yourself to support your coaching?

* Note: Models and theories present a useful structure and highlight different components to work through during supervision. Sometimes it’s effective to explicitly share the 7-Eyed and 7-Conversations model and sketch the elements during sessions; others it’s deeply embedded within the natural ebb and flow of the conversation.

** Note: Anna-Marie has no financial affiliation with the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies.

Further information can be discovered:

Oxford Brookes Professional Certificate of Advanced Study in Coaching Supervision https://www.brookes.ac.uk/iccams/opportunities-for-study/professional-certificate-of-advanced-study-in-coaching-supervision/

Director – Professor Tatiana Bachkirova https://www.brookes.ac.uk/business/about/staff/myprofile/?wid=bus-academic-list&op=full&uid=p0035809

Peter Jackson – Senior Lecturer in Adult, Professional and Lifelong Learning https://www.brookes.ac.uk/business/about/staff/myprofile/?wid=bus-academic-list&op=full&uid=p0074286

Bachkirova, T. (September/October 2011). Guiding Light in Coaching at Work. Vol. 6, Issue 5, pp. 46 – 49.

Clutterback, D. (2011). Chapter 4: Using the Seven Conversations in Supervision from Coaching and Mentoring Supervision; Theory and Practice. Open University Press, London.

NHS Digital. (2016). Well-being and Mental Health. Accessed on 4 Apr 18 from: http://healthsurvey.hscic.gov.uk/support-guidance/public-health/health-survey-for-england-2016/well-being-and-mental-health.aspx

About Anna-Marie Watson

Charlie Davies Photography 1082Anna-Marie, a Performance Coach (ICF ACC) and coach supervisor with a serious passion for the outdoors, loves to pop on her walking boots and head out for walking and talking coaching conversations. A former British Army Officer, she has been at the forefront of leadership and personal development for over 17 years supporting high performing individuals across four continents; from snowy Arctic tundra to hot and sandy deserts. Anna-Marie’s core values of growth, balance and energy are reflected in her business Reach for More. where improving yourself is an all-round experience. Anna-Marie is also an elite ultra-runner placing 2nd lady in the “toughest footrace on earth” the Marathon des Sables.

Alongside a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Coaching from the University of Derby and Master’s in Teaching from the University of Sydney; she is an accredited Analytic-Network (http://www.analyticnetwork.com) and mBraining coach (http://www.mbraining.com) and eDISC and iWAM practitioner. She is qualified Mountain Leader, Outdoor First Aid trained and a member of the British Mountaineering Council with vast international expedition experience. Anna-Marie is also the Global ICF Executive and Leadership Community of Practice (COP) co-leader.

reach for moreFor more information on Anna-Marie’s performance coaching and supervision services, visit www.rfmcoaching.com

 

Connect with Anna-Marie on Social Media

 


The Sound of Silence 2

In today’s guest post performance coach Anna-Marie Watson focuses upon something she feels underpins many skills used in coaching and communication.

The Sound of Silence

By Anna-Marie Watson

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“The Sound of Silence”  (Simon & Garfunkel)

When was the last time you indulged in a moment of pure silence? On your own in the shower or out for a run? Everything paused; the to-do list, “should have done” and “must dos” faded into the background. Your internal chatter diminished and waves of silence washed over you uninterrupted by mobile phone notifications, nagging thoughts or any other typical incessant background noise of 21st century living.

Our daily lives are an endless cacophony of sound as noise assaults our senses. Cities are full of the ever-present hum of background traffic, screaming children, ringing phones, the latest episode of “The Great British Bake-Off” blaring through from your neighbours’ apartment. Adriana, creator of the “Huffington Post” and “Thrive” believes “we’re wired, plugged in, constantly catered to, and increasingly terrified of silence, unaware of what it has to offer” (Huffington, 2014, 188). We’ve become accustomed to clatter and find a strange comfort or I’d suggest distraction from ourselves in the sounds tugging at our attention.

The flow of our everyday conversation perpetuates this din through a permanent flow of words. Our constant transmission overlooks the prime motivator behind verbal interactions – to exchange ideas, share information and seek to understand. Western culture reinforces this phenomenon as silence is generally associated with negative values, beliefs or assumptions. Silence correlates to a stereotypical lack of interest, unwillingness to communicate, rejection, interpersonal incompatibility, shyness (Davidson, 2009) or insufficient knowledge. These perceptions combined with our noisy world mean it’s almost impossible to hunt out a moment of peace and quiet. The deeper role of silence as a means of communication has largely been ignored (ibid.) and definitely warrants consideration in coaching and everyday conversations.

Additionally, patterns of dialogue vary across the world and the Western cultures specialise in a form of verbal tennis. Words morph into tennis balls; batted backwards and forwards across a net with a chronic failure to notice or register the actual word, hidden meanings, veiled emotions or insinuations. This links back to the classic 1960s song “The Sound of Silence” where Garfunkel describes the lyrics deeper meaning to illustrate “the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly intentionally but especially emotionally” (Eliot, 2010). The deeper value, connection and understanding is concealed within the noise and found in the spaces between words, brief sentence gaps and pauses in-between. The Sound of Silence.

Within the professional coaching realm, the International Coach Federation core competencies are a practical framework to consider skills, knowledge and ethics. Many key competencies can be transposed across into the business world and everyday life to support the highly sought-after talent of “effective communication” or “active listening”. Silence underpins these skills to provide a moment in time to reflect, connect and provide balance to the words. Mocci and Penna elaborate further that “silence is used to underline, to increase the communicative value, both in a positive or negative sense, of a content already defined by the relationship, for instance affection, friendship, feeling of dissatisfaction, that silence shapes”. (2009, p.5). A coach (or indeed considerate conversationalist!) creates sufficient space for equal or more communication time (International Coach Federation, 2012). This incorporation of silence into conversations can initially feel disjointed, uncomfortable and alien; as one of my recent coaching clients explains further:

“The silence and space given to me, as the client, to do the heavy lifting was uncomfortable for me at first. However, that is where the meaningful and life changing awareness sprung forth. I felt supported and believed in all along the way which empowered me”. Brenda, Charity Sector

Grant yourself the luxury of silence to still your mind and open your ears. Welcome this time and space into your day and give your small, still voice hidden deep inside permission to vocalise their thoughts.

Gift your conversational partner a moment to simply finish their sentence. Simply hold the space and allow the opportunity for further reflection or consideration. Enjoy the moment and avoid the temptation to prematurely jump in to fill the gap.

Embrace the Sound of Silence.

References:

Davidson, M. (2009). The Role of Silence In Communication. Accessed: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pesl/internationalisation/docs/Internationalisation-Role-of-silence.pdf on 5 Jan 17.

Eliot, M. (2010). Paul Simon: A Life. John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey, US.

Huffington, A. (2014). Thrive. Penguin Random House, UK.

International Coach Federation. (2012). Core Competencies. Accessed: https://www.coachfederation.org/credential/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=2206&navItemNumber=576 on 5 Jan 17.

Mocci, S. & Penna, M.P. (2009). The Systematic Approach to Communicative Silence. Sixth Congress European Congress for Systemic Science. Accessed: http://www.afscet.asso.fr/resSystemica/Paris05/penna.pdf on 5 Jan 17.

Simon, P. (1964). The Sound of Silence. Columbia Studios, New York City, US.

 

About Anna-Marie Watson

Anna Marie Watson drop shadowAnna-Marie is a Performance Coach with a serious passion for the outdoors who loves to head outside for walking and talking conversations with her clients. She is an accredited Analytic-Network  (http://www.analyticnetwork.com) and mBraining (http://www.mbraining.com) coach and certified in eDISC and iWAM psychometric profile tools. Anna-Marie is one of the co-leaders for the International Coach Federation Executive and Leadership Community of Practice (https://www.coachfederation.org/members/).

Former British Army Officer, Anna-Marie has been at the forefront of leadership and professional development for over 16 years working with high performing individuals and teams often in challenging environments; from the Norwegian snowy Arctic tundra to sandy deserts of Central Asia. Anna-Marie is also an elite ultra-runner placing 2nd lady in the “toughest footrace on earth” the Marathon des Sables in 2015. Learn more at www.rfmcoaching.com

 

Connect with Anna-Marie on Social Media

 


Walking & Talking in Nature

 In today’s guest post performance coach Anna-Marie Watson shares some of her experience and knowledge.

Walking & Talking in Nature*

By Anna-Marie Watson

"Walking & Talking in Nature" by Anna-Marie Watson

Do the following questions strike a chord for your clients or maybe just you?

Working 11, 12, 13 or more hours a day cooped up inside and permanently attached to a computer?

Struggling to hit 10,000 daily steps to satisfy the FitBit?

Mentally fatigued juggling 101 dead lines and demanding clients who add to a never-ending “to-do” list that regularly spirals out of control?

Was that a resounding “Yes!”; grudging “Maybe”, niggling “Sometimes” or resolute “No”?

For most of us who fall in the “Yes”, “Maybe” or even “Sometimes” bracket, the perfect yet often overlooked antidote to modern life is nature.

The simple act of stepping beyond the four walls of our work spaces and spending time in the natural environment improves creativity and productivity, reduces stress, aids mental clarity and encourages a wider appreciation of different perspectives. Our human brain with unique cognitive skills was developed over hundreds of years in the presence of permanent movement outdoors. From an evolutionary perspective our bodies are designed to walk up to 12 miles per day, unlike our current obesio-genic environment where on average we remain stationary for over 8 hours (Medina, 2014). Taking our clients outside for coaching sessions creates a physical shift from immobile to active and provides natural inspiration to stimulate cognitive thought to support our genetic heritage.

Neurons image

Neurons image

Just take a moment to appreciate your brain with its approximate eighty-five billion neurons that constantly wire, fire, re-wire and re-fire to process and transmit information. This 1.4 kg tofu-like mass weighs a mere fraction of our total body weight yet devours over 20% of our daily energy needs to maintain essential chemical and electrical processes way beyond the scale of any other human organ. The amount of energy needed on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis that’s necessary to navigate a myriad of tasks is simply mind-boggling.

The physical, biological and chemical interactions to process our thoughts, make decisions, silence our internal critic, organise daily tasks, unconsciously regulate the immune, cardiovascular, muscular, skeletal, endocrine, digestive, lymphatic, nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems, and then remember to email our accountant the end of year figures, are endless. Ultimately the brain, or more specifically the prefrontal cortex, like any other muscle becomes fatigued and needs time out to rest, relax and recover then return fully recharged with resilience boosted to increase productivity and reach optimum performance.

The routine dual attack and constant over stimulation from external sources and internal rhetoric can be turned on its head by stepping outside into nature*, taking a deep breathe, placing one foot in front of another, stilling the mind and living in the present moment. These recommendations from the global scientific community are reflected in British government policy with the advice to move from a sedentary position every thirty minutes and engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of 3 lots of 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise sessions per week (Public Health England, 2014).

From a coaching perspective the combination of physical movement, different environment and mental exploration leaves the client feeling refreshed, restored and with improved mental performance. Walking & Talking coaching sessions inevitably facilitate the creation of different states, energy and perspectives, which in turn influences subsequent outcomes and results compared to a traditional static conversation. Next time you’re scheduling a client coaching session cancel the conference room or confines of a café and opt for an urban venture outside the four walls hemming you in to reap physical and mental rewards.

I’ll conclude with the succinct and simple words of Elizabeth Hurley “spending time outdoors makes you feel great”.

Note*: Nature literally exists on our doorsteps and is best accessed on two feet.

References

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules. Pear Press, USA.

Public Health England. (2014). Everybody Active, Every Day – An evidence-based approach to physical activity click here to read Accessed 6 Sep 16.

Williams, F. (2016). This is Your Brain on Nature. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/call-to-wild-text Accessed 4 Sep 2016.

About Anna-Marie Watson

Anna-Marie WatsonAnna-Marie is a performance coach who draws from NLP, sports psychology, neuroscience, positive psychology and mindfulness theory to craft industrious and dynamic coaching partnerships with clients who yearn for more and desire balance within their life. Anna-Marie’s specialty is “walking & talking” where the Great Outdoors inspires facilitates deep level insights, encourages different perspectives and ultimately optimises performance. She integrates Analytic-Network (http://www.analyticnetwork.com) and mBraining (http://www.mbraining.com) methodologies to unlock and unleash transformational change.

Anna-Marie has been at the forefront of leadership and personal development for over 16 years working with high performing individuals and teams across three continents. Anna-Marie’s core values of growth, balance and energy are reflected in her business Reach for More. where improving yourself is an all round experience.

Reach For MoreFor more information on Anna-Marie’s performance coaching services, visit www.rfmcoaching.com

 

Connect with Anna-Marie on Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RFMCoaching

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RFMCoaching/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awatson4

Google+: https://www.google.com/+AnnaMarieWatson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfmcoaching/


Resolution Boycott

In this weeks guest post performance coach Anna-Marie Watson shares some of her knowledge and expertise:

Resolution Boycott

By Anna-Marie Watson

"Resolution Boycott" by Anna-Marie Watson

Over three weeks ago nearly two thirds of the British population will have diligently made well-intended New Year Resolutions in a resolve to get fitter (36% of women and 30% of men), eat more healthily (36% of women and 26% of men) or take more care of their appearance (15% for both women and men). Yet only 31 days later by the end of January 32% will have broken these resolutions (YouGov, 2015). So this year I simply decided to continue with my usual routine that balances work, fitness, healthy eating, family relationships and friendships into everyday life.

The New Year Resolution ritual harks back over 4,000 years ago to ancient Mesopotamia when the Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year (Holloway, 2014). The concept of self-improvement continued through the Roman period and Medieval era with religious overtones and is now firmly embedded in 21st Century Western society life. This entrenched “New Year, New You” social and cultural construct is absurdly timed in the post-Christmas festive lull and coldest winter month of January, not potentially the most conducive to achieve transformational long-standing results.

Resolutions are simply a motivational mechanism to reinvent oneself yet the majority of people aren’t ready to invest mentally or biologically in transformational change. Williams (2014) describes resolutions as a form of “cultural procrastination” as we set unrealistic goals and expectations that are out of alignment with our internal perception. In addition, our human biological process to alter habitual behaviour and change thoughts uses a substantial amount of mental energy to physically rewire neural pathways. Neuro-scientific research has proved through MRI scans that rather ironically the default habitual thought of “not doing” something merely strengthens the neural pathway rather than create new ones. So what’s the alternative?

If there’s an inner urge to join the list-making masses opt to celebrate your work and life achievements from 2015 instead. Then moving forwards on a monthly basis routinely identify five moments to appreciate yourself, your business, your professional and personal development, your relationships and your successes (check out my Facebook page Reach for More. or Twitter @rfmcoaching for my “Monthly Memories”).

This conscious “attitude of gratitude” process based on positive psychology becomes engrained in our neural pathways. Rational and positive thinking therefore becomes habitual as “conscious appreciation establishes appreciation as an ongoing and stable cognitive habit” (Taylor, 2014). This mindset of gratitude wields immense power over our mood, wellbeing, energy levels, perspective, communication and relationships. In turn, these positive effects ripple across our entire lives with reduced blood pressure, lowers cortisol, better sleep, fewer physical symptoms…the list continues. Boycott the resolution, embrace gratitude and give yourself permission to celebrate success.

ExerciseTake a moment to consider your top 5 memories from 2015.

Once you’ve decided it would be great to share your thoughts within our Coaching Confidence community.

 

References

Holloway, A. (2014). Ancient History of New Year’s Resolutions. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-news-general/ancient-history-new-year-s-resolutions-001185 Accessed 18 December 15.

Taylor, S. (2014). The Power of Appreciation. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/out-the-darkness/201407/the-power-appreciation Accessed 21 December 15.

Williams, R. (2014). Why People can’t keep their New Year’s Resolutions. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201412/why-people-cant-keep-their-new-years-resolutions Accessed 21 December 15.

YouGov (2015). 63% of Brits are planning to make New Year Resolutions. [ONLINE] Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/01/16/63-brits-are-planning-make-new-year-resolutions/ Accessed 21 December 15.

 

About Anna-Marie Watson

Anna-Marie is a performance coach who draws from NLP, sports psychology, neuroscience, positive psychology and mindfulness theory to craft industrious and dynamic coaching partnerships with clients who yearn for more and desire balance within their life. She integrates Analytic-Network (http://www.analyticnetwork.com) and mBraining (http://www.mbraining.com) methodologies to unlock and unleash transformational change. Anna-Marie’s specialty is “walking & talking” where the Great Outdoors inspires facilitates deep level insights, encourages different perspectives and ultimately optimises performance.

AnnReach For Morea-Marie has been at the forefront of leadership and personal development for over 15 years working with high performing individuals and teams across three continents. Anna-Marie’s core values of growth, balance and energy are reflected in her business Reach for More. where improving yourself is an all round experience.

For more information on Anna-Marie’s performance coaching services, visit www.rfmcoaching.com

Connect with Anna-Marie on Social Media

Twitter: www.twitter.com/RFMCoaching

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RFMCoaching/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/awatson4

Google+: www.google.com/+AnnaMarieWatson

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rfmcoaching/