The super vision of supervision
Musing on the value of group supervision for coaching and beyond
One of the best things about being certain forms of certified coach is the requirement for supervision. Not only is it a healthy requirement from a safety perspective in my view. I believe it is incredibly valuable to progressing coaching practice. And potentially for other professions and fields of practice.
Supervision in a coaching context can take many different forms. 1:1 with supervisor and coach. A group of coaches with a supervisor. It can be very structured. And somewhat (seemingly) unstructured.
It can also feel very different, dependent on the makeup of the group and the chemistry between people. For the coaches, and presumably for the supervisor.
My experience over the past two years has been with two different supervisors and two different groups with each. The supervisors themselves were very different in style and structure. And the groups different in the mix of experience, age, and style. I got a lot of value from both.
On a meta level, group supervision helps shine a light on group dynamics, in ways different to typical groups I am part of. Partly because it’s a blend of different coaches. We tend to encourage a degree of safety that can lead to more challenging provocations. Calling out more of the energy in the group dynamic as it emerges. That is very rare in groups. Especially in new ones.
We contract around what we might want out of the experience. What might stand in our way. How we might work. And then we play it out, and often re-contract to make sure it serves the group and the people within it.
Once, when talking about supervision in another non-supervision group, someone misheard me and thought I said super vision.
‘That sounds cool. What is that?’
And it’s funny really because over the years maybe the two (supervision and super vision) have been pushed away from each other.
‘Supervision’ is typically seen like overseeing. Checking the production line. Checking the quality. Someone knowing best what good is and ensuring the lower ranks are doing their jobs right.
Super vision may be understood to be like superman’s x ray vision, or someone being able to see long distances, somewhat like a spidey sense.
Within coaching supervision, both are somewhat true to some extent. But also each woefully incomplete by themselves.
Though a certified supervisor has been trained in supervision, and may have more experience in supervision and coaching than others in the group, they are not seen as an all knowing oracle. More of a curator of the container.
Sometimes a coach of the coaches. Sometimes a weaver of emergent threads between experiences. Sometimes a structured facilitator of timings and tools.
They are somewhat supervisory over the dynamics of the group. Ensuring everyone is heard. Creating the super structures for the dynamic. And sometimes the sub structures of the questions, or processes we may go through.
They are however, often supervisors (in the more typical sense) of ethics and will typically highlight any ethical boundaries being breached.
But what I find truly valuable is the ‘super vision’. Coaches are typically encouraged to come with a coaching case to seek supervision on. Sometimes a meta topic on coaching, coaching business or something tenuous but still related. Sometimes coaches come with nothing they want to share. And yet, they can still gain value from hearing from others. Normalising some of the challenges. Normalising feelings. And also providing windows onto topics they hadn’t quite articulated.
I have found immense value listening to other coaches be vulnerable in sharing their reflections, their musings, and their wisdom. It’s a level of super vision into an issue that one might be slower or unable to do alone. Shining many lights on a problem.
I have also appreciated observing how other coaches coach. Seeing them in action. Feeling what it feels like to be coached by them. And understanding their inner thought processes. Getting super vision into the world of their coaching engagements. It’s something I found incredibly valuable through coach training. One of my biggest arguments for people being formally trained and certified. But it’s also something you can start to miss in your own practice.
Coaching like many other professional pursuits can feel lonely at times. Supervision helps with this by bringing folk together, helping you feel seen, giving you new things or perspectives to see. To provide greater perspectives on your self and your future practice. All knowing there is support as you explore that practice.
So, if you’re a coach and you’re not in supervision, maybe see if you can find a group that can help serve you. Help make you a better coach. To not feel so alone. To progress your practice.
And if you’re not a coach, I’m left wondering how a similar approach could be valuable for leadership, design, strategy, or other professional practices. Helping a group advance their practice together.
I’d be curious to hear about your interests and experiences in ‘supervision’ within coaching and the potential beyond.
