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:

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.

How 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.

What 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.

When 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

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

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.

What 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

Anna-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.

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

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