Supervision on a 121 or group basis is the formal opportunity for coaches working with clients to share, in confidence, their case load activity to gain insight, support and direction for themselves and thereby enabling them to better work in the service of their clients.
As a coach you have the professional capacity to help bring about important changes for individuals, groups and organisations, however your work can also deeply influence people who are in a life-changing situation or transition and who may be rendered vulnerable and possibly dependent.
Coaches need supervision and increasingly corporate clients and procurement specialists are making evidence of regular supervision part of their quality assurance process. A supervisor is a more experienced coach who:
Coaching supervision draws on the best practice of psychotherapy and counselling supervision and places it within a coaching orientation. As such, it upholds the principles of coaching and mentoring and the coaching relationship.
The ICF Board have adopted the position of "strongly encouraging" supervision and say:
“Coaching Supervision is a collaborative learning practice to continually build the capacity of the coach through reflective dialogue for the benefit of both coaches and clients. (It) focuses on the development of the coach’s capacity through offering a richer and broader opportunity for support and development…and creates a safe environment for the coach to share their successes and failures in becoming masterful in the way they work with their clients.”
What does a supervisor do?
This is not a checklist or mandatory set of areas to cover, but may well include:
AoCS members are all trained and experienced in coaching supervision, most are accredited, and all subscribe to a code of ethics and hold professional indemnity insurance (where available). They retain membership of their own professional body and actively maintain their CPD.
AoCS cannot provide endorsements or recommendations, but suggest you set up a short trial period with a new supervisor to see if you're compatible, just as coaches do with their clients.
As a further guide to Coach Supervisor requirements:
Become part of our online family. Connecting and empowering each other to succeed. We want to give supervision wider exposure and a larger 'share of voice' in the coaching community. Come and join us!
Become part of our online family. Connecting and empowering each other to succeed. We want to give supervision wider exposure and a larger 'share of voice' in the coaching community. Come and join us!