Disc 4: Supervision for coaches
HR manager: Good morning, I’m back and you’ll be pleased to know we have our coaching program up and running. Now our internal and external coaches are asking for support with their work.
Technical support: Hello. Have you thought of offering them supervision? No? Then install Disc 4, “Supervision for coaches”, and click on “What is supervision?” This will install an understanding of what supervision means and give your coaches a chance to use it more effectively. We find most coaches either don’t use it or don’t maximise its full potential.
HR: Hold on. The machine is telling me there is a program already installed called “Mindlessness”. I thought we’d deleted that?
TS: You had. It shows how powerful this virus is. It’s just so easy to become mindless at work but it is incompatible with supervision. Go to your start menu and click on “Stop and think”. You may have to do this a few times.
HR: Okay, that’s worked. But what has it got to do with supervision?
TS: Everything, actually. Supervision creates mindful coaching practice. It allows your very experience of coaching to become your teacher and, in the hands of effective supervisors, coaches will be supported and challenged to go beyond where they are.
HR: I notice there are sections on “Reflective practice” and “Helping supervisees learn how to reflect”. I’m surprised that’s there.
TS: I’m not. We’ve been asked by coaches to include that section because they feel they have no training in reflection. If supervision is reflecting on practice in order to learn from the work and increase its quality, then we need to train in reflection. If you go back to your desktop and click again on “Becoming an effective coach supervisee”, the program will highlight the training it provides.
HR: Got it. I’m installing six short training programs on learning how to “Learn”, “Reflect”, “Give and receive feedback”, “Realistically self-evaluate”, “Be emotionally aware” and “Have dialogue”. I can imagine now how effective supervision will be.
TS: Yes. Just before we finish, make sure you click on “Overwrite previous versions”. It’s surprising how many supervisors think it’s their job to tell the client how to coach rather than provide space for reflection and learning.
HR: Okay, I can see that old files have been dumped. I have lots more questions, not just on supervision, but on coaching and organisations and standards and ethics.
TS: That’s fine, we have programs for all of those. Come back to me when you’re ready to install.
Volume 3, Issue 4