Changeagenda

COACHING
SUPERVISION
MAXIMISINGTHE
POTENTIALOF
COACHING
Introduction
Theuseofcoachinghasgrownexponentiallyinthelast
tenyears.TheCIPDs2006learninganddevelopment
surveyshowedthatnearly80%ofallrespondentswere
inorganisationsthatwereinvestinginoneormore
formsofcoaching.
Asinvestmentincoachinghasgrown,sotoohasthe
needtofindwaysofqualityassuringtheservicesbeing
provided,todevelopandsustainthecoacheswho
aredeliveringthem,andtofindwaysofdrawingout
theorganisationallearningfromthemanycoaching
conversationstakingplaceintheorganisation.
Coachingsupervisionhasapivotalroleinaddressing
theseneeds,butitsstillataveryearlystageof
developmentandisntyetusedbymostcoachesand
organisersofcoaching.ThisChangeAgendareports
onresearchintogoodpracticeincoachingsupervision
carriedoutbyBathConsultancyGroupfortheCIPD.Its
aimistoprovideguidanceonmakingthebestuseof
coachingsupervision.Itsalsointendedthattheresearch
willcontributetodiscussiononhowthisareaofwork
shoulddevelop.
Itshowstoohowsupervisionisbeginningtoplaya
keyroleinthecontinuingprofessionaldevelopment
ofbothinternalandexternalcoachesandhow
someorganisationsareusingsupervisiontocreatea
sustainablecoachingculture.
YoucanreadthedifferentpartsofthisChangeAgenda
inanyorder.Thefirstgivesanoverviewofwhat
coachingsupervisionisandwhyitmatters,thesecond
givesasummaryofthecurrentstateofsupervisionin
theUK,andthethirdgivesguidanceongoodpractice.
Thetextisillustratedbycasestudiesshowinghowvery
differentorganisationsareusingcoachingsupervisionto
supporttheircoachingservices.
Coachingsupervision 1
Whatiscoachingsupervisionand
whydoesitmatter?
Coachingsupervisionisarelativelynewactivityandlittle
hasbeenwrittenaboutit.Inthelasttwoyears,however,
definitionshavebeguntoemerge.Theseinclude:
Supervisionsessionsareaplaceforthecoachto
reflectontheworktheyareundertaking,withanother
moreexperiencedcoach.Ithasthedualpurposeof
supportingthecontinuedlearninganddevelopmentof
thecoach,aswellasgivingadegreeofprotectionto
thepersonbeingcoached(Bluckert2004).
Coachingsupervisionisaformalprocessofprofessional
support,whichensurescontinuingdevelopmentofthe
coachandeffectivenessofhis/hercoachingpractice
throughinteractivereflection,interpretativeevaluation
andthesharingofexpertise(Bachkirova,Stevensand
Willis2005).
Theprocessbywhichacoach,withthehelpofa
supervisor,canattendtounderstandingbetterboththe
clientsystemandthemselvesaspartoftheclientcoach
system,andbysodoingtransformtheirworkand
developtheircraft(HawkinsandSmith2006).
Thesedefinitionsagreethat:
Supervisionisaformalprocess.
Itisinterpersonal,andcanbeundertakenone-to-
one,ingroupsorinpeergroups.
Reflectiononclientworkiscentraltosupervision.
Itsgoalsincludedevelopinggreatercoaching
competence.
Butthisresearchprojecthasalsoshownthatsupervision
hasotherfunctionsthatareimportanttothosewho
areorganisingcoachingservices.Wenowsuggest,
therefore,thisbroaderdefinition:
... a structured formal process for coaches, with
the help of a coaching supervisor, to attend to
improving the quality of their coaching, grow their
coaching capacity and support themselves and
their practice. Supervision should also be a source
of organisational learning.
Thereis,todate,onlylimitedpublishedworkonthe
modelsandtheoriesusedincoachingsupervision.
Thisispartlybecausecoachingsupervisorsareoften
drawnfrompsychology,psychotherapyorcounselling
backgrounds,wheresupervisionhasbeenestablished
longer.But,untilthecoachingcommunitydevelopsits
owndefinitions,modelsandtheoriesofsupervision,the
practicewillbelimitedandcoachingsupervisionwill
remaindressedinborrowedclothes.
Theseborrowedclotheshavecreatedthreerather
limitedcoachingsupervisionapproaches:
psychologicalcaseworkfocusingon
understandingthepsychologyofthecoachingclient
andhowtoworkwithit
coachingthecoachfocusingonthecoachrather
thanontheircoaching
managerialsupervisionfocusingonfixing
problemsandresolvingdifficulties.
Coachingsupervisionnowneedstodevelopitsown
modelsinorderto:
betterunderstandthecoachsclientsandtheir
organisationalcontext
explorecoachingrelationships
developwaysofimprovingcoachingandcoaching
interventions
contributetothecoachscontinuingprofessional
development
attendtotheliverelationshipbetweencoachand
supervisorandthewaysthismightbeparalleling
thecoachingsessiondynamics
ensurethecoachissupportedandresourcedto
managecoachingworkwithintheircapability.
2 Coachingsupervision
Should it be called supervision?
Thisresearchshowsthatsomeindividualsand
organisationsdislikethetermsupervisionsinceit
cancreateanold-fashionedimageofoverseeing,
monitoring,controllingandpolicing.
Whilethemostcommonlyusedtermsarecoach
supervisorandcoachingsupervision,some
organisationshaveoptedfordifferentwaysof
describingthepersonandthepractice,suchas
coachingthecoach,leadcoach,coachmentor,
metacoachingorreflectivepractice.Buttheterm
coachingsupervisionisgraduallybecomingmore
widelyacceptedasthethinkingbehindthistermisnow
betterunderstoodandmorewidelypractised.
Why does it matter?
Supervisioniswellestablishedinmanypeople
professionssuchaspsychology,socialwork,nursing,
psychotherapyandcounsellingandisnowbeing
establishedinthenewerdisciplineofcoaching.
Drawingonthehistoryandevolutionofsupervisionin
otherprofessions,HawkinsandSmith(2006)define
threemainfunctionsofeffectivecoachingsupervision
asqualitative,developmentalandresourcing.
Thequalitative function providesqualitycontrol
inworkingwithpeople.Allcoaches,nomatterhow
experienced,haveissuestheydontsee,communication
theyhaventheardandchallengestheyrenot
communicating.Consequently,high-qualitycoaching
cantbemaintainedbyacoachactinginisolation.
Supervisorshavearesponsibilitytoensuretheir
superviseesworkisappropriateandfallswithindefined
ethicalstandards.
Incaseswheretheorganisationsponsorssupervision,
thequalitativefunctionmayalsominimisetheriskof
unprofessionalpracticebyensuringtheorganisations
standardsareupheldandtheboundariesofthe
coachscompetencearentoverstepped.Supervision
isalsoawaytoensurethecoachingisalignedwith
organisationalobjectives.
Thedevelopmental function addressestheskills,
understandingandcapabilitiesofthesupervisee
throughthereflectionandexplorationofthe
superviseesworkwiththeirclients.Inthisexploration,
thesupervisorhelpsthecoachto:
understandtheclientbetter
becomemoreawareoftheirownreactionsand
responsestotheclient
understandthedynamicsofcoachclient
interaction
examinehowtheyintervenedandthe
consequences
exploreotherwaysofworkingwiththisandother
similarclientsituations.
Theresourcing function providesemotionalsupport
enablingthecoachtodealwiththeintensityof
workingwithclients.Inevitably,coacheswillbeaffected
emotionallybybeingpresentandempathicwiththeir
coachingclients.Toremaineffective,coachesneedto
attendtothemselvessotheyavoidover-identifyingwith
theirclientsordefendingagainstbeingfurtheraffected.
Coachingsupervision 3
Currentpracticeincoaching
supervision
ThispartoftheChangeAgendaisdrawnfrom
researchcarriedoutduringthesummerof2006.
Itsderivedfromweb-basedquestionnaireresponses
from525coachesand128organisersofcoaching
services,feedbackfromfocusgroupsattendedby
31practitioners,andin-depthinterviewswithsix
organisationsusingcoachingsupervisiontosupport
theircoachingservices.
How widely is supervision practised?
Coachingsupervisionisincreasinglyrecognisedas
valuablebycoachesandorganisersofcoachingbut
itsstillnotpractisedbymostcoaches.While86%of
coachesrespondingtooursurveybelievethatcoaches
shouldhavecoachingsupervision,only44%actually
doso.Coacheswhoaremembersofacoaching
professionalbodyaremorelikelytohavesupervision,
with75%reportingthattheydoso.Theuseofcoaching
supervisionisgrowingrapidly,withthemajorityof
coachesstartingsupervisioninthelasttwoyears.
Thosewhodontpractisesupervisiongiveanumber
ofreasonsforthis,including:
Supervisionisntrequiredbymyorganisation.(42%)
Supervisionistooexpensive.(17%)
Icantfindasupervisor.(17%).
Thegapisevengreaterforthosewhoorganise
coachingservices.Inall,88%saytheybelieve
coachesshouldhavesupervision,butonly23%
reportthattheyprovideit.Someofthereasons
theygivefornotprovidingsupervisionarethatits
tooexpensive(19%),theycantfindasupervisor
(13%),ortheirorganisationscoachesdontneed
supervision(10%).
0
External coach Internal coach Manager coach
20
40
60
80
100
Believe coaches
should have regular
ongoing supervision
Receive regular
ongoing supervision
Had supervision for
more than two years
Figure1:Beliefinanduseofsupervision
4 Coachingsupervision
Thequestionnaireresponsesalsoshowasignificant
gapbetweenthehavesandhavenots.Itseemsthat
thosewhodostarttoreceivecoachingsupervision
soonwantmore.Morethanhalfthecoachessaidthey
havenosupervision,whereasthecoacheswhoare
supervisedhavemorethanonesupervisionformat,
withanaverageof2.4typesofsupervisionperperson.
Thisincludes87%whouseone-to-oneface-to-face
sessions,52%whohavepeergroupsupervision,45%
whohaveone-to-onetelephonesessions,and39%
whousefacilitator-ledgroups.
Internal coaches (employees of the organisation
who coach staff who do not report to them)
Manyorganisationsusemorethanoneformatof
coachingsupervision.Amongthoseprovidingsupervision
forinternalcoaches,75%useindividualface-to-face
sessions,55%usegroupswithadesignatedsupervisor,
30%useindividualtelephone-basedsupervisionand
15%usepeergroupswithoutafacilitator.
Organisationsuseamixofexternalandinternal
resourcestoprovideindividualandgroupsupervision.
Frequently,theorganisationprovidingcoachtraining
alsoprovidessupervision.Inothercases,anexternal
coach/supervisoristypicallyrecruitedthroughanetwork
recommendation.
External coaches (coaches who are contracted
into the organisation to provide coaching
services)
Mostorganisationsexpecttheirexternalcoachesto
maintaintheirownsupervisionarrangementsaspart
oftheirprofessionalstandards.Only10%ofcoaching
organisersrespondingtooursurveyprovidesupervision
forexternalcoaches,with60%ofthoseonlyhaving
startedtodosowithinthelastyear.
Afewnotableexceptionsinclude:
PaulineDixon,NationalSchoolofGovernment,
providesindividualface-to-faceorphonesessions
foranetworkof35associatecoachesoffering
coachingforseniorcivilservants.Thereflective
conversationsareheldatkeypointsinthe
coachingcycle:abriefingbeforethefirstsession,
afterthefirstsession,afterthemid-pointsession
andattheendofthecoachingcontract.
Themeetingsarenormallyface-to-facebutcanalso
beconductedbyphone.Typically,thesessionstructure
exploresseveralkeyquestions:
- Howsthecoachingforthisclientgoing?
- Whatsgonewell?
- Whatcouldhavebeenbetter?
- Whathaveyoulearned?
- Whatstransferabletoothersituations?
Dixonnotes:Itsanimportantelementofmanaging
thequalityandeffectivenessofthecoaching.Allofthe
coachesarequitekeentoparticipate.Ihaveneverhad
anyonesayno.
SandraHenson,AscentiaCorporateCoaching,
haslinkedcoachingsupervisiontoISO9001:2000
QualityAssuranceprocesses.Allcoachesmust
undertake2hoursofsupervisiononceamonthor
everysixweeksorforevery35hoursofcoaching,
whicheveristhesoonest.Bothcoachesandthe
supervisorkeeplogbookstodemonstrateregular
supervision.Coachessaysupervisionhasevolved
frombeingamustdorequirement.Inthewords
ofone:Ireallylookforwardtomysupervision
sessions.IcontinuesupervisionbecauseIwantto
andnotbecauseIvebeentoldto.
SamHumphrey,ofHumphreyandCo.,hasexperienceof
groupphonesupervisionofexternalcoachesworkingon
leadershipdevelopmentprogrammes.Shereportsthatit:
- acceleratesthecoachsteameffectivenessand
providesprofessionaldevelopment
- givesfocustothemeasurementoftheircoaching
outcomes
- givesanopportunitytogetfeedbackandideason
theirwork
- helpscoachesunderstandthewidercontextthey
workinandinformstheirquestionsinone-to-one
coachingsessions
- identifiesthemesandpatternstofeedbackintothe
organisationandleadershipdevelopment.
Commentingontheimportanceofsupervisionfor
coachesgenerally,shesays:Supervisionprovidessafety
forclientsandsafetyforcoaches.Ithelpsthecoachto
beawareofpersonallimitsandcapabilities.
Coachingsupervision 5
OneleadingUKbank,whichrequirestheirexternal
coachestomaintaintheirownsupervision,invites
thecoachestoattendaconferencetwoorthree
timesayear.Thehalf-daystartswithabusiness
update,includingstrategy,newbusiness,leadership
changesandrestructuring.Itprogresseswith
discussionandfeedbackfromthecoachesontheir
insightsandperceptionsabouttheorganisation.
Theprimaryoutputisfeedbackonthemesand
commonissuesoftheleadershipculture.Italso
providesfeedbackonthecoachingpolicyand
processeffectiveness.
Structure of coaching supervision
Whileeverycoachingsupervisorhastheirownunique
methodologyandstyle,thereisoftenasimilarityof
structureforsupervisorysessions.Atypicalstructurefor
aone-to-onesession,whetherconductedfacetoface
orbytelephone,couldbe:
checkin(sharingrecentexperiencesandfeelings)
establishingthesessionfocusanddesiredoutcome
supervisorydiscussiononacurrentcoachingclients
situationorissuethiscouldincludetapesofcoaching
exploringthecoachspersonalissuesandskill
developmentneeds
discussingconcernsthecoachmayhave
establishinglearningandcommitmenttofuture
action.
Groupsupervisionwithadesignatedsupervisorand
peersupervisionoftenhavesimilarformats.Typically,
thismayinclude:
groupcheck-in(whereparticipantssharerecent
experiencesandfeelings)
agreeingwhowantstopresentaclient
Table1:Supervisortrainingandqualifications
Requirement
supervisor-facilitatedone-to-onesupervisionwitha
groupmemberonacurrentcoachingclientsituation
orissuethiscouldincludetapesofcoaching
one-to-oneortriopeersupervisiononacurrent
coachingclientsituationorissuethiscould
includetapesofcoaching
anactionlearningformat,whereoneparticipant
sharesacurrentcoachingclientsituationorissue
withothermembersaskingquestionsorsharing
theirperspectives
feedbackonorganisationalandculturalthemes.
Supervisor training and qualifications
Coachingsupervisortrainingandqualificationsarevery
diverse.Somesupervisorshave:
extensivecoachingexperience
coachingsupervisorytraining(aminority)
experienceofcounsellingorpsychotherapy
supervision
acoachingMastersdegree(aminority).
Internalcoachsupervisorsappeartohavelessrobust
trainingandqualifications.Manyhavecompleted
acoachingdiplomaandhavesomeexperienceof
beingsupervised,whileonlyasmallminorityhavehad
coachingsupervisiontraining.
Table1summariseswhattrainingandqualifications
respondentstothequestionnairessaidtheywould
requirefromasupervisor.
Coachesplacemoreemphasisontrainingin
supervision,whilethosewhoorganisecoachingservices
tendtogivemoreweighttobusinessexperience.Only
aminorityinbothgroupslookforqualificationsin
psychologyorpsychotherapy.
Organisersofcoaching Coaches
Business/organisationalexperience 85% 69%
Traininginsupervision 60% 72%
Supervisionqualification 20% 37%
Psychotherapy/psychologyqualification 20% 34%
6 Coachingsupervision
Inthefocusgroups,participantsemphasisedthatit
wasimportantthatsupervisorsofcoachinghadbroad
experienceofcoachingthemselves.Theyalsosaidthat
thematchbetweensupervisorandcoachesandwith
theorganisationwasmoreimportantthantrainingor
qualifications.Thesupervisorsauthenticityandability
tocreateashiftinthecoachisperceivedascritically
important.Inpractice,mostorganisationsselect
supervisorsfollowingarecommendationorreferral.
The benefits of coaching supervision
Responsestothequestionnairesshowedthatcoaches
andorganisershavedifferentviewsaboutthebenefits
ofcoachingsupervision.Coachesareinterestedin
makingthemselvesmoreeffective,whilethosewho
organisecoachingservicesputmoreemphasison
qualityassurance.
Coachesseethemainbenefitsofsupervisionas
developingcoachingcapability(88%)andassuringthe
qualityoftheircoaching(86%).Only25%indicatethey
havesupervisionbecausetheirprofessionalbodyrequires
itorbecausetheclientorganisationrequiresit(9%).
Thosewhoorganisecoaching,ontheotherhand,use
supervisiontomonitorcoachingquality.Thisincludes
protectingtheclientandminimisingtheorganisational
riskofunethicalorunprofessionalpractice.Supervision
helpstoensurethatcoachingisfocusedonwork
objectivesandwithintheboundariesofthecoachs
capability.Theyalsoseecoachingsupervisionasraising
coachingstandardsbycontinuallyimprovingqualityand
effectiveness.
Thoseorganisingsupervisionforexternalcoachessaid
thatbroadeningacoachsunderstandingoftheclient
andtheirorganisationalissuesformsanimportant
reasonforimplementingcoachsupervision.Inthe
caseofinternalcoaches,benefitsincludebringing
geographicallydispersedcoachestogethertoshare
goodpractice,improvingcollaborativeworkingand
identifyingorganisationthemesandissues.
Coachingsupervision 7
Goodpracticeincoaching
supervision
Thisresearchhasidentifiedimportantelementsofgood
practiceincoachingsupervision.Thesearedescribed
belowandareillustratedbyourwheelofgoodpractice
(Figure2).ThispartoftheChangeAgendaalsogives
guidanceonhowtoassesswhetherexternalcoaches
aremakingeffectivesupervisionarrangements,howto
getstartedincoachingsupervision,andhowsupervision
canhelptoincreasethereturnonyourinvestmentin
coaching.
Goodpracticeincoachingsupervisionmeansthat:
It takes place regularly
Supervisionneedstohappenregularlytoallowcoaches
toattendadequatelytothebreadthanddepthof
theircoachingwork.Asexamplesofgoodpractice,
boththeBBCandPricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC)
providemonthlysupervisionsessionstotheircoaches.
BBCcoachesmustattendaminimumofsixindividual
sessionsandfourgroupsessionsperyeartocontinue
onthecoachregister.PwCoffersmonthlygroup
supervisionwithanexternalsupervisor,andcoaches
supplementthiswithone-to-onesupervisionsessions.
TheOxfordSchoolofCoachingandMentoringrequires
traineecoachestohaveonehourofsupervisionforevery
20hoursofcoaching,andfullytrainedcoacheshaveone
hourofsupervisionforevery35hoursofcoaching.
Factorstoconsiderwhendeterminingsupervision
frequency:
Role.Ifcoachesarevolunteerswhohaveotherday
jobs,therewillbealimittohowmuchoff-the-job
timeisacceptable.
Type.Ifcoachesareprimarilyskillsorperformance
coaches,theywillnormallyrequirelesssupervision
thancoachesworkingwithclientstoachieve
fundamentalchange.
Sustainability.Coachingsupervisionshouldbe
providedthrougharelationshipbasedonmeetings
atleastbi-monthly.
Focuses on client,
organisation and
coach needs
Takes place
regularly
Quality assures
coaching provision
Provides support
for the coach
Balances individual,
group and peer
supervision
Provides continuing
professional
development to
the coach
Generates
organisational
learning
Manages
ethical and
confidentiality
boundaries
Figure2:Coachingsupervision:wheelofgoodpractice
8 Coachingsupervision
Veryfeworganisationshavedevelopedacoherentlyplannedstructureforprovidingcoaching
supervisiontotheirinternalcoaches.OneofthefewistheBBC,whichprovidescoachingforsenior
andexecutivemanagersthroughanetworkof60trainedvolunteerinternalcoaches,andwhere
coachingsupervisionwasfirstintroducedin2001.
Supervisionwasseenasawayofclosingthegapbetweenthecapabilityoftheinternalcoaches,who
hadreceivedsixdaystraining,andexperiencedexternalcoachesalsobeingusedbytheBBC.
Iwasconcernedthatthecoacheswouldntbeabletorememberallthattheylearntonthecoach
training.Wewantedtoensurethatourcoacheswereprovidingaconsistentlyhighlevelofcoaching
comparabletoexternalcoachproviders.
TheexperienceofestablishingcoachingsupervisionattheBBChasledLizMacann,Headof
Executive,LeadershipandManagementCoaching,toseetheimportanceoffivekeyaspectsof
theprocess:
1 Be clear about your purpose
MacannurgesHRorcoachingmanagerstoconsiderwhattheywantfromsupervision.Isit
primarilyforembeddinglearning?Isitforoffloading?Isittodeveloptoolsandtechniques?Oris
itforreflectionandthinkingaboutoneself,theclientandhowtoimproveyourcoachingpractice?
Supervisioncanbeallofthese.Itwillevolve,butithelpstobeclearaboutyourpurpose.
2 Design a framework that provides consistency and flexibility suited to your context
BBCcoachesmusthaveaminimumofsixindividualsupervisionsessionsandparticipateinatleast
fourgroupsessionsayeartomaintaintheirrighttopractiseandcontributetotheBBCscoach
accreditationprocess.
Coacheshavetwotypesofsupervision.Eachcoachhasanhourofindividualsupervisionwiththeir
leadcoachattwo-monthlyintervals.Individualsessionsareusuallyfacetoface,buttheycanbeover
thephone.Normally,thesessionwillfocusononeortwocoachingclients.
Onalternatemonths,coachesparticipateinahalf-dayofgroupsupervisionwith1012coachesin
eachcoachingset.Bydesign,thegroupsupervisorisnotthesamepersonastheindividualsupervisor.
Thisensuresallcoacheshavetwoindependentsourcesofongoingsupervision.Inadditiontothe
individualandgroupsupervision,coachesmaycontactanyleadcoach/supervisorforparticularneeds
arisingbetweensessions.
3 Develop trained supervisors
Withthewisdomofhindsight,Macannobserves:Iwouldintroducesupervisiontrainingearlierif
Iweretodoitagain.Severalleadcoacheswentoncoachingsupervisiontrainingin2004.The
traininghelpsthesupervisortohelpthecoachshiftsothecoachingbecomesmoretransformational.
(continued)
Building internal coaching capability at the BBC
Coachingsupervision 9
4 Maximise continued learning and development in the supervision process
Typically,thegroupsupervisionsessionsattheBBCinclude:
check-inregardingtheircoachingwork
sharingnewtoolsandtechniqueslearnedfrombooksand/orattendingcourses
co-supervisioninthrees
coachingbookclubrecommendationsfromgroupmembers.
5 Maximise organisational learning while protecting individual confidentiality
Groupsupervisionsessionsfrequentlyraiseorganisationalissuesortrendsworthnoting.Occasionally,
theyuseatalkingwalltechniquetoidentifyorganisationalthemesdiscussedincoaching.
Inthisway,groupsessionsprovideanemotionalandbehaviouralmonitorfortheorganisation.Themes
arefedintotheLeadershipTeamoftheLeadershipandDevelopmentfunctionandmayalsobeusedas
feedbacktotheLeadershipBoard.
Clientconfidentialityisprotectedinbothindividualandgroupsupervision.Peopleworkwithano
namesorgradesrule.Ifthereisthepossibilityaclientcouldberecognised,thecoachcamouflagesthe
details.Byusingtheseguidelines,theyhaventexperiencedanyconfidentialitydifficulties.
Macannnotesanumberofpositiveoutcomesfromcoachingsupervision,including:
asenseofcommunityandconnectednesswithothercoaches
abeliefinthecoachingprocessbeingstimulated
ongoingpersonaldevelopmentthatinformscoachingpractice
moreeffectiveworkingwithstickyclients
confidentcoacheswhoarebetterequippedtodeliverhigh-calibre,time-effectivecoaching
anorganisationsafetynettohelpcoachesmaintainboundariesandminimiseanyorganisationalrisk.
However,Macannisquicktomentionthattheiruseofcoachingsupervisionismoreaboutthe
developmentalaspectsandbeingmoreeffectivethanabouttheavoidanceofrisk.
Building internal coaching capability at the BBC (continued)
It focuses on client, organisation and coach needs
Supervisioninvolvesatleastthreeclients:thecoach,
thecoachingclient,andtheclientsorganisation.
Oneofthekeyoutcomesofsupervisionistodevelop
supervision,whichenablesacoachtohaveabroader
understandingofthecoachclientsystemandthe
clientorganisationsystem.Whenselectingasupervisor,
itsimportantthattheyhavetrainingandexperiencein
thesystemdynamicsinvolvedincoachinganddontjust
focusonthepsychologyoftheclients.
It provides continuing professional development
to the coach
Supervisionshouldalsobeakeypartofthecontinuing
professionaldevelopmentofthecoach,helpingthem
connecttheorywithpracticeanddevelopreflective
practiceasacoreelementoftheirwork.
Someorganisationsuseprofessionaldevelopment
tocomplementtheirsupervisionpractice.Standard
CharteredBank,forexample,providesperiodic
10 Coachingsupervision
masterclassestotopupcoachingskillsandbuild
coachingcapacity.SarahJones,GroupHeadof
LeadershipDevelopmentatStandardChartered,says:
Themasterclassesareashotinthearm.Theyremind
usofthebesthabitsofcoachingandhelptoaccelerate
competenceandconfidence.
Severalorganisationsensurethatamixofexperienced
andnewercoachesworktogetherinsupervision
aswellasdrawingpeopletogetherfromdifferent
senioritylevels.Thishelpsallparticipantslearnfrom
differentperspectives.
StandardCharteredisaglobalcompanyof44,000employeesoperatingin56countries.Withalarge
globalfootprintandsignificantgrowthaspirations,theorganisationperceivesleadershipdevelopment
asessentialtothefuturesuccessofthebusiness.Todevelopitsleadershiptalent,StandardChartered
introducedastrengths-basedapproachtoleadershipdevelopmentin2000.
Aspartofthisongoinginitiative,theorganisationhasanetworkof200StrengthCoachesspanning
theglobe.ThecoachesareallHRrelationshipmanagers,whowereinvitedtobecomeStrengthCoaches
asacomponentoftheirrole.Tobecomeacoach,individualsmustattendafour-daytrainingcourse
andcompletetencoachingsessionsoverfourmonths,withoneaudio-recordedsession,andtheymust
committoongoingprofessionaldevelopment.
SarahJones,GroupHeadofLeadershipDevelopment,leadsthecoachingnetworkanditssupervision.
Jonessays:Providingsupportforthecoachesrequiresaglobalnetworkof34teamcoacheswho
eachprovideongoingsupervisorysupportforthreetosevencoaches.Teamcoachesareselected
fromthecreamofthecoacheswithatleasttwoyearsStrengthsCoachingexperience.Welookfor
peoplewhoaredeeplycommittedtotheirownpersonaldevelopmentintheareaofcoachingandthe
developmentofothers.
Theteamcoachesareexpectedtomeeteachcoachforoneandahalftotwohourseverythreemonths
asaminimum.Ifacoachwouldlikemoresupport,theycanarrangeadditionalmeetingswiththeir
teamcoach.Mostoftheseareface-to-facemeetings,buttheycanbebytelephoneorvideocalls.Some
supervisorsusegroupsandsomerunsurgerieswhentheyreinthecountry.Thetypicalsupervisory
meetingincludes:
reviewingcoachingclients:whatIvedoneparticularlywellandwouldliketorepeatinmycoaching;
whatIvedonelesswell.
providingsupportinrelationtosituationsthathavebeenstretching
challengingthecoach:whatwasonyourmind?
reviewingthecurrentbusinesspressures:arethereanythemesthatareemerging?
Coachesareencouraged,withintheboundsofconfidentiality,tobringfeedbacktothesupervisory
sessionfromclientstheyvecoached.Coachesarealsorequiredtotapeatleastonesessionperyearand
bringitforreview.
Tofacilitatemanagementofthecoachinginitiativeandcoachingsupervisionoftheteamcoaches/
supervisors,therearesevenLeadershipFacilitatorswhoprovideongoingsupervisionfortheteam
coaches.
(continued)
Going global with Standard Chartered Bank
Coachingsupervision 11
Theteamcoachesnotetheorganisationalthemesdiscussedaspartofthesupervision.Periodically,these
arefedbacktotheHRandOrganisationEffectivenessteams.TheChiefExecutivetakesakeeninterest
inthefeedbackrelatedtotheorganisationsongoingeffortstodevelopeffectiveleadership.
SinceStrengthsCoachingisintegraltoHR,theydonotcalculatethecostofthecoachingandsupervision
asaseparatelineitem.Jonesemphasises:StrengthsCoachingiscriticaltoourleadershipdevelopment
strategy.Coachingsupervisionisessentialtocoaching;wecantaffordnottodoit.Thesupervision
processhelpsusensurethatacoachworkinginxcountrywouldneverfeellikealostsoul.Knowing
thattheyresupportedaspartofaninternationalnetworkhelpsthecoachestofeelconfidentandto
knowthattheyarekeytoourstrategicstrengthsapproach.Thisispassedonthroughthecoaching
totheleaderstheyworkwith.Werekeentoensurethatemployeesperceiveindividualattention
anddevelopment.Thisresultsinhigherstaffengagementandweseetheresultsinstrongerbusiness
performanceandloweremployeeturnover.
Tooptimisethebenefitsofcoaching,Jonesrecommends:
Provideyourcoacheswithgreattrainingitsachallengingrole.
Beclearaboutthetargetpopulationforcoachingandtheperformanceoutcomesyoullfocuson.
Ensureyouonlyworkwithnumbersofcoacheesthatyourcoachingpopulationcangiveappropriate
attentionto.
Makesurebothcoachingandcoachingsupervisionarepartofanindividualsobjectivesoritsunlikely
togetdone.
Andaboutcoachingsupervision:
Setsupervisioninplacefromthebeginning.
Pickthebestofthecoachestobesupervisors.Beingasupervisorshouldholdkudos.
Considerusingexternalsupervisorswhileyourowncoachingpopulationgainsexperience.
Ensurethatboththesupervisorsandcoachesunderstandwhatsupervisionisandwhatitsnot.
Haveacleartimetableofactivitythatismonitored.
Going global with Standard Chartered Bank (continued)
It quality assures coaching provision
Organisationswantassurancethattheyremanaging
therisksassociatedwithcoaching.Sincemostcoaching
isdoneconfidentiallyonetoone,thereisariskthat
theclientcouldbeharmedifthecoachisntworking
ethicallyorcompetently.
Whencoachesopentheirworktoscrutinybyanother
experiencedpractitioner,thequalityofcoaching
isimproved.Supervisionhasthedualfunctionof
minimisingtheriskofpoororunethicalpracticewhile
ensuringthatcoachesdothebesttheycanfortheir
clientsandtheorganisation.BarbaraPicheta,Leader,
CoachingCentreofExcellenceatPwC,says:Toopen
onesworktoscrutinyisimportantbestpracticein
anyhelpingactivity.Ifyouregoingtobothertohave
coachesintheworkplace,thisispartofititsnotan
optionalexercise.
It provides support for the coach
Thehumancapacitytoempathise,supportand
challengeerodesovertime.Ifcoachesarentadequately
supported,theycandevelopdefensiveroutinesthat
limiteffectiveness.
SamHumphreyofHumphreyandCo.says:Coaching
supervisionhelpsthecoachtobeawareofpersonal
limitsandcapabilitiesandtokeepfeelingswherethey
shouldbekept;theclientdoesbetterifthecoachis
abletoremaininserviceoftheclient.
12 Coachingsupervision
PricewaterhouseCoopersLLPisaninternationalbusinessadvisoryfirmwithmorethan20UKoffices.
With15,000employeesintheUK,ithas750partnersand800directors.Thisisanorganisationwith
astrongcommitmenttocoachingasawayofsupportingindividualisedpersonaldevelopmentand
leveragingoutstandingbusinessperformance.Mostseniormanagers,directorsandpartnersareexpected
toprovidecoachingsupportfortheirstaffaspartoftheirrole.Inaddition,executivecoachingisoffered,
whereappropriate,totalentedseniorpeopletohelpthemaddresstheirbusiness,leadershipandpersonal
developmentchallengesandmaximisetheirpotential.
CoachingisprovidedthroughtheCoachingCentreofExcellence,ledbyBarbaraPicheta,comprisingateamof
sixspecialistinternalcoaches,extendedbyapoolofaround30externalcoaches.Therearealsoabout20human
capitalconsultantsinthebusiness,whomayspendupto40%oftheirtimeoncoaching.Pichetaexplainedthat:
Seniorpeopleneedaconfidentialspacetoexplorehowtheyareworkingandtothinkabouttheissuestheyand
theirbusinessarefacing,andtheyvalueaconfidentialoff-linerelationshipinwhichtodothat.
Typically,aspecialistcoachmighthaveupto30clients,seeingeachoneaboutonceamonth.Thecoachs
backgroundcouldbeinpsychology,learninganddevelopment,counsellingincludingcareercounselling,
psychotherapy,consultingorbusiness,andsomewillhavequalificationsinoneormoreoftheseareas.Human
capitalconsultantswilltypicallyhaveanHR,developmentorbusinessbackground.Thosewhocoachmay
spendupto40%oftheirtimeoncoachingandthenumberofclientstheyworkwithwillvaryaccordingly.
Thespecialistinternalcoachteamhashadsupervisionarrangementsinplaceforsevenyears.Thishasbeen
basedongroupsupervision,ledbyanexternalfacilitatorandcomplementedbyone-to-onesupervision.
Therehasalsobeenastrongtraditionofco-consultingandshadowconsulting.Thefourfacilitatorschosen
toleadgroupsupervisionoverthisperiodhavealwaysbeenexperiencedcoachesandsupervisors,witha
psychologyorpsychotherapybackground,andeachhascomefromadifferentorientationsothatthegroup
couldgetexposuretoarangeofperspectivessuchasGestalttheory,psychodynamicsandbioenergetics.
ThehumancapitalconsultantcoachesworkingintheAssurance,AdvisoryandOperationsbusinessareas
havehadgroupsupervisionforoverayear.Supervisiongroupsforthesecoachesareledbyafacilitatorand,
again,thesearesupplementedbyone-to-onesupervisionsessionswhereneeded.
Groupsupervisionsessionsfollowthesamemodelinallcases.Thesearemonthlysessionslastingforaround
threehoursandbeginningwithagroupcheck-in,whichtypicallytakeshalfanhour.Eachgrouphasaround
sixmembersandthosewhowanttodiscussaparticularcasewillbidfortimetypicallyeachwillthenhave
between30and45minutestoexplorethis.PhilipRaymond,humancapitalconsultantandcoach,observed:
Allmembersofthegroupjoinactivelyinthisexploration,observing,listeningandreflectingwhattheysee;
someofthemostvaluableinsightscanbefromothermembersofthegroup.
Workingtogetherinagroupcanhelpcoachestoseearangeofperspectivesonanissue,gettingothers
reactionstotheirownwayofworkingandlearning.Itcanhelpindividualsunderstandblindspots,relationship
patternsandtheapproachesothersareusing.Itcanalsohelptopromotedeeperrelationswithcolleagues.
Aquitedifferentoutcomecanbetheemergenceinthesesessionsoforganisationalissuesandsystemic
themes.Thesemayincludetheeffectsofanewpolicy,orresponsestochangesinthebusinessandinsights
astowhethertheseareworkingwell.Thisinformationisregularlyreportedbackatpartnerlevelinthe
formofthemesandobservationsandonaconfidentialandnon-attributablebasis.Itinformsperceptionsof
coaching,aswellashavingobviousvalueinorganisationdevelopment.
Coaching supervision at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Coachingsupervision 13
Confidentialityisanobviousconsideration,butgroupsupervisionatPricewaterhouseCoopersisbasedon
veryclearcontractingaroundthisanditisrevisitedquiteregularly.Thereisalsoastrongethosofrelianceon
thepersonalintegrityandethicsofcoaches.
Thereareanumberofcomplementarysupervisionactivities.Personalsupervisionorindividualcoachingisused
toexploreareasofconcernthatcropupbetweengroupsessionsforcaseswhereconfidentialityisaparticular
concernandasawayofexploringindividuallearningneeds,suchasfindingoutmoreaboutaparticular
approachormodel.Therehavealsobeenlearningforums,seminarsandworkshopsinrelevantareasofinterest.
Externalcoachesarerequiredtomaketheirownarrangementsforsupervision.However,theyareinvited
everyfourmonthsorsotoearlyeveningsessions,whichfocusonbriefingsaboutorganisationalissues
includingchangesintheenvironment.Itslikelythatcoachselectioninthefuturewillincludequestionsabout
personalsupervisionandperhapsevidenceofhoweffectivelyitisused.
Reflectingonthevalueofcoachingsupervision,PichetaandRaymondagreethatitsanimportantsupportive
andeducativepracticeandthatbothclientsandcoachesbenefitfromimprovementsincoachesskilllevels
andconfidence.Butjustasimportantly,ithelpstoensurecoachingisdeliveredethically,thatthequalityis
rightandthatanypotentialrisktobothclientsandcoachesismanaged.AsPichetaobserves:Toopenones
worktoscrutinyisimportantbestpracticeinanyhelpingactivity.Ifyouaregoingtoinvestincoachesinthe
workplace,thisisanessentialpartofititsnotanoptionalexercise.
Coaching supervision at PricewaterhouseCoopers
(continued)
It generates organisational learning
Agreatdealofinformationabouttheorganisation
cancomeoutofcoaching.Themes,common
issues,descriptionsofleadershiporculturewill
inevitablyemergefromthecoachingconversations
alongwithfeedbackaboutthecoachingprocess
andcoachingpolicy.Ifharvested,itcanresultin
significantorganisationallearning.
Someorganisationshavetimeattheendofeach
supervisorysessiontoidentifyorganisationthemesand
trendsthatcanbecapturedasorganisationallearning.
Othershavespecialfeedbacksessionsonaperiodicbasis.
Thefrequencyofthefeedbackmeetingsrangesfrom
fortnightlytosix-monthly,withthenormbeingquarterly.
Organisationallearningcanbefedbackintothe
organisationsoaneffectiveresponsecanbemade.
Thismayinformpolicyorleadershipororganisational
developmentprocesses.
Normally,themesarecapturedinwritingand
agreedwithcoachesbeforebeingsubmittedtothe
organisation.Dependingontheorganisation,the
submissionoffeedbackisgenerallydonebythe
coachingsupervisororcoachingmanager.
Thisinformationmustbehandledethically.Itshould
neverbeusedinmakingdecisionsaboutcoaching
clientsortheircareers.Closeattentionshouldalsobe
paidtoconfidentialityissues(seeboxopposite).
It manages ethical and confidentiality
boundaries
Ethicalpracticecantbemaintainedbyrulesand
regulations.Manyethicalsituationsarefraught
withcomplexityrequiringcarefulexplorationrather
thansimpleanswers.Supervisionprovidesaforum
forallpartiestoincreasetheirethicalmaturity.On
thesurface,thismayseemtocontradictcoaching
confidentialitysincethecoachdiscussestheirclient
withthesupervisororsupervisorygroup.Certainly,
supervisionmayplacepressureontheboundaries
ofconfidentiality,especiallyingroupsofinternal
coacheswhereclientsmaybeknowntogroup
members.
14 Coachingsupervision
It balances individual, group and peer supervision
Organisationsshouldcreatetheirownwell-designed
mixofindividual,groupandpeersupervisiontomatch
thenatureofthecoachingprovisionoffered.
How to manage confidentiality
Discussandagreegroundrulesabout
confidentialityatthestartofthe
supervisoryrelationship.
Recognisethatconfidentialitycantbe
absolute.Thesupervisorreservestheright
totakeactioniflaw-breakingorpotential
self-harmareinvolved.Thedutiesof
confidentialityandcareco-exist.
Makesurethatanywrittenrecordofthe
supervisionprotectstheconfidentialityof
boththecoachingclientandcoach.
Ingroupsessions,avoidusingnamesor
gradesandchangedetailsincaseswhere
thereisthepossibilitytheclientcouldbe
identified.
Allsupervisionhaslimitations:
Individualsupervisionwithaseniorpractitionercan
leadtodependency.
Groupsupervisioncanbeovertakenbythe
dynamicsofthegroupandleaveinsufficienttime
foreachindividual.
Peersupervisioncanbecomecollusive.
Usingbothindividualandgroupsessionsoptimises
thebenefits.Individualsupervisiongivescoaches
uninterruptedtimetoreflectontheircoaching
andexploretheirdevelopmentneeds.Personalised
supervisionletsthecoachexplorethedynamicsof
thecoachclientrelationshipandthewaytheyare
workingwiththeclient.
Groupsessionsaremoreeconomicalandassure
aconsistentapproachforallcoaches.Inaddition,
groupparticipantscanlearnbypresentingtheir
clientsorparticipatingwhensomeoneelseis
presenting.JanetCampbell-SmithofGreater
ManchesterPolicesays:Groupsupervisioncanbe
developmentalforthosewhoarejustlistening.
Hearingothersideascanbehelpfulanditsan
opportunitytoaffirmonesownskillsandthose
ofothers.
MikeMunroTurneroftheSchoolofCoachingand
JerichoPartnerssays:Groupsupervisiongivesnew
insightaboutmyownwork,aboutwhatcolleagues
doandwhatImightusefromthat.
TheCentreforExcellenceinLeadership(CEL)wasformedin2003byAshridgeBusinessSchool,
LancasterUniversityManagementSchoolandtheLearningSkillsandDevelopmentAgency,withthe
primarypurposeofpromotingleadershipanddiversityinthelearningandskillssector.Italsoworksin
othersectors,includingthepoliceandprisonservices.
Inearly2005,GreaterManchesterPolice(GMP)contractedCELtoassistinaleadershipdevelopment
programmetosupportaculturechangeinitiativeacrossthe12,000policeofficersandstaff.Since
then,CELhasdelivereditsLeadersasCoachesprogrammetoarangeofHRpractitionersandpolice
officersfrominspectortochiefsuperintendent.Thesix-monthprogrammeincludesaninitialtwo-day
coachingworkshop,twohalf-daysupervisionandtrainingsessionsandafinalone-dayreviewworkshop.
Participantsareexpectedtocomplete18hoursofcoachingpracticeoverthesixmonthsandhavesixand
ahalfhoursofbeingcoached.
(continued)
Building supervision into coach training; the Centre for Excellence in
Leadership and Greater Manchester Police
Coachingsupervision 15
ShaunLincoln,CELDirectorofCoachingandMentoring,said:WeprovidesupervisionatcostsoI
makeitasaffordableaspossible.JustasIwouldntuseacoachwithoutsupervision,itwouldbean
issueforusifthecoacheswetrainarenotsupervised.JanetCampbell-Smith,LeadershipProgramme
ManagerinGMP,observed:Wewantourcoachingtobethebestandwerecognisethatsupervisionis
aprofessionalrequirement.
Supervisionofcoachingisbuiltintotheinitialprogrammeandcontinuesafterthecoachesgraduate
fromthetraining.Groupsupervisionisofferedonaquarterlybasisandcoachesareexpectedtoattend
twoineachyear.Thesessionsarethreehourswithaboutsixparticipants.Thegroupsuseareflecting
teamstechnique,inwhichgroupmembersaskquestionsaboutanissueraisedbyacoachseeking
feedback.Thisaffirmingprocessincludesgroupmembersidentifyingwhathasimpressedthemabout
thecoachsapproachsofar.Whiletheindividualraisingtheissueavoidseyecontact,thegroupdiscuss
whatisgoingthroughtheirminds,whattheeventtriggersandhowitsitswiththeirownpractice.
Althoughgroupsusethesametechniqueseachtimetheycometogether,groupmembershipvaries.The
groupmaybeledbyaCELfacilitatororitmaybeapeergroupofcoachesmeetingwithoutaleader
butusingtheapproachtaughtbyCEL.
Atthestartofthetraining,groundrulesweresetaboutconfidentialityandthiscontractisrenewed
atthestartofeachsupervisiongroupsession.ThisisreinforcedbyguidanceinGMPscoachingpolicy
andbythefactthatnocoachwouldknowwhoothersarecoaching.Lincolnsaidtheimportanceof
confidentialityisalwaysaddressedanditisrecognisedasadealbreaker.Ifyouwanttoputanendto
coachingintheorganisationthenbreakconfidentiality,hesaid.
Top-upskillsworkshopsorganisedbyCELcomplementsupervisiontohelpcoachescontinuouslydevelop.
Campbell-Smithalsoarrangesregularemailbriefingstoallcoacheseverysixtoeightweekstokeepin
touch.Additionally,allcoachingrelationshipsaremonitored.Thecontractatthestartoftherelationship
includesanofaultopt-outclauseforeitherpartyatanypoint.Thereisamid-pointreviewafterthree
months,whenformsaresenttothecoachandcoacheeaskingforfeedbackonhowsatisfiedtheyare
withtheprocess.Thereisanothersimilarreviewattheendofthecoachingrelationship.
Therehavebeensomepowerfulbenefitsfromgroupsessions,includingsharedunderstandingabout
coachingpractice.Coacheshavealsolearnedthatsometimestheanswersareintheirowngroupof
peers,notwiththeexternalnetwork.Reflectivepracticehasalsohelpedcoachestoseehowpowerfula
solutions-focusedapproachcanbeoutsideacoachingcontext,withallthisimpliesforculturalchange.
Therehasalsobeenanunexpectedbenefit.Workingtogetheringroupsupervisionhasimproved
understandingbetweenpoliceofficersandpolicestaff.
Campbell-Smithsaid:Groupsupervisioncanbedevelopmentalforthosewhoarejustlistening.
Hearingothersideascanbehelpfulanditsanopportunitytoaffirmonesownskillsaswellasthose
ofothers.Thisdoesntalwayscomeeasilyanditcanbeveryimportanttoworkonwhathasgone
wellforthecoach.
Building supervision into coach training; the Centre for Excellence in
Leadership and Greater Manchester Police (continued)
16 Coachingsupervision
How to assess the supervision of external Beclearaboutthepurposesbothofyourcoaching
coaches initiativeandthesupervisionthatwillsupport
Thosewhoorganisecoachingservicesoftenexpect it.LizMacann,HeadofExecutive,Leadership
externalcoachestoarrangetheirownsupervision. andManagementCoachingattheBBC,says
Forexample,ShaunLincoln,ProgrammeDirector, Isitprimarilyforembeddinglearning?Isitfor
CoachingandMentoring,attheCentreforExcellence offloading?Isittodeveloptoolsandtechniques?
inLeadership,commented:Iwouldexpectcoaches Orisitforreflectionandthinkingaboutoneself,
tohavesupervisionaspartoftheircontinuous theclientandhowtoimproveyourcoaching
professionaldevelopmentandIwouldntemploya practice?Supervisioncanbeallofthese.Itwill
coachwhodidnthavesupervision. evolve,butithelpstobeclearaboutyourpurpose.
Designaframeworkforsupervisionthatsuitsyour
Manyorganisations,however,simplyassumeanexternal organisationsparticularneeds.Youmightfindit
coachhassupervision.Forthosethatdoaskaboutit helpfultocomplementyoursupervisionsessionswith
whenselectingcoaches,theprocessisoftenhaphazard, skillsupdates,forexample,throughworkshops.
withmostpurchasersofcoachingcurrentlydoinglittle Makesureyourcoachingsupervisionoperates
morethanaskingcoachestotickaboxsayingthey withinconfidentialandethicalboundaries.
receivesupervision.Clearly,supervisionshouldreceive Supervisionrequirestwolevelsofcontracting:one
moreattentionincoachselectionprocesses. forclientcaseworkandanotherfororganisational
learningasinformedbycoaching.
Withtheinputoftheresearchfocusgroups,weve Recruitasupervisorfromoutsidetheorganisationor
developedfourkeyassessmentareasandthepositive trainaseniorcoachtobeacoachsupervisor.Ensure
answersassessorsmightseek(Table2). thesupervisorsbackgroundandskillsetaresuitable
forthecoachingtheyllsupervise.Asolidcoaching
Getting started: introducing coaching supervision backgroundandbusinessexperiencearefundamental
into your organisation tothis.Supervisiontrainingandexperienceasa
Plancoachsupervisionfromtheoutsetofany supervisorwillalsohelptoensurethattheneedsof
coachinginitiativeandbudgetforit.Inthewords thecoaches,theirclientsandtheorganisationaremet.
ofonefocusgroupparticipant:Ifyoudontprovide Pilotsupervisionandadjustittotheneedsofthe
supervisionforinternalcoachesandmanager organisationandthecoaches.
coaches,thesustainabilityandreturnoninvestment Createasystemtodocumentlearning,andidentify
ofyourcoachinginitiativeisinjeopardy. anyissueswithcoachingsupervision.
Ifyouhaventexperiencedcoachingsupervision, Buildintimetoharvestorganisationalthemesthat
youmightfindithelpfultofindacoachsupervisor emergefromcoaching.
andgetexperienceofbeingsupervisedbefore Ensuresupervisorshaveadequatesupervisionof
introducingittoyourorganisation. theircoachingsupervision.
Table2:Questionstoaskexternalcoachesabouttheirsupervision
Questions Positiveanswers
Howoften?
Fromwhom?Andwhatistheirbackground,
experienceandqualifications?
Whatarethebenefitsofthesupervisionyou
receive?
Canyoudescribeasituationwheresupervision
transformedyourcoaching?
Atleasteverytwomonthsor1:35ratioof
supervisiontocoaching
Anexperiencedcoachwithsupervision/training
experience
Candescribebenefitsforthemselves,theirclients
andtheirclientorganisations
Demonstratesreflectivepractice,abilitytoreceive
challengesandnewideasnon-defensivelyandto
applylearning
Coachingsupervision 17
Return on investment
Coachingcanbeanexpensivedevelopmentoption
anditmakessensetoensurethatitsofahighquality
andyieldsagoodreturnoninvestment.Coaching
supervisioncontributestothisbyenablingan
organisationtomonitorcoaching,developcoaching
capabilityandincreasecoachingsorganisationalimpact.
Monitoring coaching quality
Supervisioncreatesaregularopportunityforcoachesto
reflectontheircoachinganditsimpactonthecoaching
client.Asonesurveyrespondentnoted:Fundamentally,
supervisionisaboutimprovingandevaluatingthe
servicetotheclients(organisationandindividual).
Ifinditunthinkabletocoachwithoutit.Reinforcing
coachingobjectivesduringsupervisionkeepsthe
purposeofcoachingcentraltocoachinginterventions.
Regularongoingsupervisionprovidesasafetynetfor
thecoachingclient,theorganisationandthecoach.
Developing coaching capability and capacity
Byreflectingontheirpractice,coachesdevelopgreater
self-awarenessanddevelopbettertoolsandtechniques.
Theyalsogeneratepersonalinsightsanddiscoverthe
bestwaytomeetcoachingobjectives.Thisresultsin
moreskilfulcoacheswithgreatercapacitytohelptheir
clientsachievetheirpersonalandorganisationalaims.
Theultimateaimofsupervisionistoimprovecoaching
practiceacrosstheorganisation.Coachingsupervision
makesbettercoachesandbettercoachesmakebetter
managerswhocandeliverbusinesstargets.Butitdoesnt
stophere.Managersexperiencinggoodcoachingwillin
turnbeabletoimprovetheperformanceofstaffaround
themtheinformalcoachingeffect.
SarahJones,GroupHeadofLeadershipDevelopment
atStandardChartered,comments:Wearekeento
ensurethatemployeesreceiveindividualattentionand
development.Thisresultsinhigherstaffengagement
andweseetheresultsinstrongerbusinessperformance
andloweremployeeturnover.
Drawing organisational learning from coaching
activity
Coachingismostcommonlyaone-to-oneprocess
toimprovetheeffectivenessandproductivityof
coachingclients.Butorganisationsarekeenforthese
individualconversationstobeconnected,and,in
doingso,nurtureacoachingculturethatdelivers
greaterorganisationalimpact.Groupsupervisioncan
beespeciallyhelpfulingeneratinglearningacrossthe
coachingcommunityandcapturingthepatternsand
dynamicswithintheorganisationthatcanbemore
widelyapplied.
18 Coachingsupervision
Conclusionsandthewayforward
Forcoaches,coachingsupervisionisanessentialpartof
theircontinuousprofessionaldevelopment.Itsthepivotal
linkbetweentheoryandcoachingpractice.Forthosewho
organisecoachingservices,itsthekeytoeffectivequality
assurance,tomanagingtherisksthatcanbeinherent
incoaching,andtodrawinglearningfromthecoaching
conversationsthattakeplaceintheorganisation.Itcan
helptoincreasethereturnonaninvestmentincoaching
andcanevenhelptoprovideevidenceofthatreturn.
Coachingsupervisionis,asyet,though,ataveryearly
stageofdevelopment.Itwillbecomemorefirmly
establishedaspractitionersandpurchasersofcoaching
becomebetterinformedandmoreconfidentabout
usingit.Itwillalsobecomemorefirmlyestablished
ascoachingdevelopsitsownsupervisionmodelsand
practicesthatmeettheneedsoftheclient,thecoach
andtheclientorganisation.
Thosewhoarenowinvolvedincoachingsupervisionas
coachesandorganisersofcoachingarethepioneers,
butthisresearchhasshownthattheyreoftenconvinced
ofthevalueofthesupervisiontheyvereceivedandare
developingnewandofteninnovativepractices.
Inanycase,theriskofnotsupervisingcoaching
issignificant.Withoutit,itshardtobesurethat
coachingstandardsaregoodandthatcoaches
areproperlytrainedandsupportedintheirroles.
Ontheotherhand,thepotentialbenefitsare
easilyidentified.Theyincludeimprovedcoaching
quality,increasedcoachingcapabilityandgreater
organisationalvalue.Thesebenefitsapplynotonly
tothosebeingcoachedbuttothosetheywork
withinthewiderorganisation.InthisChange
Agenda,wevehighlightedhowprocessescanbe
builtintosupervisionsothatitalsoprovidesuseful
organisationallearningbasedonthekeythemes
andpatternsemergingacrossthemanycoaching
conversations.
Coachingsupervisioncanalsoplayakeyroleinthe
futuredevelopmentofthecoachingprofession,
wheresupervisionisnotonlyprovidinglearningand
developmenttothosebeingsupervised,butwherethe
learningisalsoflowingbackthroughsupervisionfromthe
experienceattheclientinterfacetotheprofessionitself
learninganddeveloping.
Thechallengenowistodevelopandembedmodelsand
practicesincoachingsupervisionsothatitcanprovidethe
maximumsupportandbenefitforcoachesandcoaching
services.WehopethisChangeAgendahasmadea
contributiontothatend.
Acknowledgements
TheCIPDisverygratefultothoseorganisationsand
individualswhogavetheirtimetotakepartintheonline
surveys,focusgroupsandcasestudieswhichinformed
thisChangeAgenda.
Coachingsupervision 19
Furtherreading
BACHKIROVA,T.,STEVENS,P.andWILLIS,P.(2005)
Coachingsupervision[online].Oxford:OxfordBrookes.
Availableat:http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/
education/macoachment-pgcert.html
BLUCKERT,P.(2004)Coachingsupervision[online].
Bingley:PeterBluckertCoaching.
Availableat:http://www.pbcoaching.com/article-
coaching-supervision.php
CHARTEREDINSTITUTEFORPERSONNELAND
DEVELOPMENT.(2006)Learninganddevelopment2006
[online].London:CIPD.
Availableat:http://www.cipd.co.uk/surveys
CLUTTERBUCK,D.andMEGGINSON,D.(2005)Making
coachingwork:creatingacoachingculture.London:
CharteredInstituteforPersonnelandDevelopment.
DOWNEY,M.(2003).Effectivecoaching:lessonsfrom
thecoachescoach.NewYork:TexereThomson.
GOLDSMITH,M.,LYONS,L.andFREAS,A.(2000)
Coachingforleadership:howtheworldsgreatest
coacheshelp.SanFrancisco,CA:JosseyBass.
HAWKINS,P.(2006)Coachingsupervision.
In:PASSMORE,J.(ed.).Excellenceincoaching:the
industryguide.London:KoganPage.p203216.
HAWKINS,P.andSHOHET,R.(2006)Supervisionin
thehelpingprofession.2nded.Maidenhead:Open
UniversityPress.
HAWKINS,P.andSMITH,N.(2006) Coaching,
mentoringandorganizationalconsultancy:supervision
anddevelopment.Maidenhead:OpenUniversityPress.
JARVIS,J.(2004)Coachingandbuyingcoaching
services.London:CharteredInstituteforPersonneland
Development.Availableat:http://www.cipd.co.uk/
subjects/lrnanddev/coachmntor/coachbuyservs.htm
JARVIS,J.,LANE,D.andFILLERY-TRAVIS,A.(2006)
Thecaseforcoaching:makingevidence-based
decisions.London:CharteredInstituteofPersonneland
Development.
ONEILL,M.B.(2000)Executivecoachingwithbackbone
andheart:asystemsapproachtoengagingleaderswith
theirchallenges.SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.
20 Coachingsupervision
Weexploreleading-edgepeoplemanagementanddevelopmentissuesthroughourresearch.
Ouraimistoshareknowledge,increaselearningandunderstanding,andhelpourmembers
makeinformeddecisionsaboutimprovingpracticeintheirorganisations.
Weproducemanyresourcesonpeoplemanagementanddevelopmentissuesincludingguides,
books,practicaltools,surveysandresearchreports.Wealsoorganiseanumberofconferences,
eventsandtrainingcourses.Pleasevisitwww.cipd.co.uktofindoutmore.
WrittenbyDrPeterHawkinsandGilSchwenk,BathConsultancyGroup
CharteredInstituteofPersonnelandDevelopment
151TheBroadway London SW191JQ
Tel:02086126200 Fax:02086126201
Email:cipd@cipd.co.uk Website:www.cipd.co.uk
IncorporatedbyRoyalCharter Registeredcharityno.1079797 I
s
s
u
e
d
:

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
6

R
e
f
e
r
e
n
c
e
:

3
8
5
0

C
h
a
r
t
e
r
e
d

I
n
s
t
i
t
u
t
e

o
f

P
e
r
s
o
n
n
e
l

a
n
d

D
e
v
e
l
o
p
m
e
n
t

2
0
0
6