An Integrated Approach to Coaching Supervision

Within a Guild of Executive Coaches a joyous thing

John Zelcer Ann Whyte OPPEUS Whyte & Coaches

“TRULY REFLECTIVE PRACTICE”

This afternoon’s session:

•  Overview of Coaching Supervision

•  “6 x 5” Model of Coaching Supervision

•  Group exploration from 6 perspectives

•  Debriefing and discussion

WHAT: Description of Coaching Supervision

Coaching supervision is a formal process of professional support, which ensures continuing development of the coach and effectiveness of his/her coaching practice through interactive reflection, interpretation, evaluation and sharing of expertise (Hawkins and Smith 2006)

In essence: –  Supervision is a formal process –  Reflection on client work is central to supervision –  It is interpersonal, and can be undertaken one-to-one, in groups or

in peer groups –  Its goals include developing greater coaching competence

WHY: Purpose of Coaching Supervision •  Assess the extent to which coaches are meeting the needs of our clients •  Reflect on our practice •  Question our approach and practice in a supportive and challenging

environment •  Monitor our relationship with the client and the organisation •  Develop new approaches and learning in order to be more effective with

clients •  Provide a structure for coaches to develop our practice and report on our

progress •  Ensure high standards of ethics in coaching process

Guidelines on Supervision for Coaching Psychology. BPS, 2007

WHY: Benefits of Coaching Supervision •  For coaches:

–  An essential part of continuing professional development –  Pivotal link between theory and coaching practice –  Underpinning quality of coaching delivery –  Supportive of the coach

•  For those organising coaching services: –  Key to effective quality assurance –  Key to managing risks that can be inherent in coaching –  Draws out learnings from the coaching conversations that

take place in organisations

HOW: Good practice in Coaching Supervision:

Hawkins and Schwenk, CIPD 2006

HOW: Guidelines •  Coaching supervision is most effective where the climate:

–  Is appropriately supportive –  Is constructively challenging –  Provides a safe environment for open disclosure and discussion –  Is underpinned by the relevant theories –  Provides a structure of agreed confidentiality and ethics –  Available and affordable

•  Rigorous respect for the confidentiality of clients is fundamental to the ethical practice of coaching supervision as much as to coaching itself – notion of “private” and “public” information

“6 x 5” Model of Coaching Supervision

•  A comprehensive approach used in a national Guild of coaches

•  Embraced by the entire group

•  The 6 x 5 Model comprises: –  Six stakeholders –  Five supervision activities

“6 x 5” Model: Six (6) Stakeholders

•  There are 3 well known conventional stakeholders: being: 1.  Coach 2.  Coachee 3.  Client - ie, when the purchaser of the coaching is not the coachee

•  There are 3 further key stakeholders: being: 4.  Coachee’s team 5.  Universities and training providers 6.  Professional associations

Comments:

•  Universities and Training Providers –  They carry a special and large responsibility when charting waters

for emerging professions

•  Professional associations –  Their challenge is “coming of age” – maturing from a single focus

point to understanding the legitimacy of multiple stakeholders, and understanding how to collaborate across diverse beginnings

“6 x 5” Model: Five (5) Supervision Activities

1.  Self-reflection following a coaching session 2.  Co-supervision where two peers provide supervision to each other 3.  Peer supervision in a group setting – where a group of experienced

coaches meet and provide supervision to each other on a reciprocal basis.

4.  One-on-one supervision with an identified designated expert 5.  Group supervision with an identified designated expert

Some fears about Supervision

•  Time consuming •  Expensive •  May mean exposing my weaknesses •  May mean I am going to be judged •  ... •  ...

Over to you

•  Let’s test the 6 x 5 model in a breakout session

•  Break into 6 groups – each one representing one of the 6 key stakeholders: 1.  Coach 2.  Coachee 3.  Coachee’s team 4.  Client 5.  Universities and training providers 6.  Professional associations

Task •  From the perspective of the stakeholder that you represent identify some

sentinel questions that you believe would be effective in a supervision session

•  Examples: –  Think of examples of “white spaces” that the coach might not be seeing –  Sample scenarios:

•  Coach is finding that some of their coaching is becoming directive and is uncomfortable and seeking feedback

•  Coachee has a major ethical dilemma •  “Unexpected feelings arise in the coach”

Sharing and Feedback

•  Sentinel questions – two from each group

•  Draw out common ground and differences

•  What, if anything, emerged that seemed outside the “6 x 5” framework?

The following 8 slides are content that was captured in the Workshop

1. Questions from Coach point of view

•  Are you experiencing emotional responses to the coaching? What is their nature and how are you reflecting on them – both in terms of your own feelings and in terms of what they are telling you about the coachee and the coaching?

•  Have you identified how your values are different from the client, and how does this impact on your work?

1a. Additional questions from Coach point of view

•  To what extent are you self-aware? •  Are you able to maintain commercial viability in the management of the

workload and contract? •  Do you have a conflict in balancing client need and time allocation

(both in sessions and overall for the term of the contract)? •  Are you experiencing any client envy? How does this reflect on your

insight into your own ego?

2. Questions from Coachee point of view

•  Are you calling the situation for what it really is and providing authentic, courageous feedback to the coachee using your signature presence?

•  How are you using resources to help you with the coachee?

3. Questions from Client point of view

•  What kind of feedback are you expected to give – “private” or “public”?

•  What are the specific issues that you are facing in managing the triangulation of the coach, coachee and client ?

4. Questions from Coachee’s Team point of view

•  The coachee’s boss has asked the coach to give feedback. What your boundares regarding confidentiality and the integrity of the coach coachee relationship?

•  If the team doesn’t like how the coachee is changing, what action or recourse does the team have?

5. Questions from University & Training Organisations point of view

•  Which model(s) and theory(ies) are you using? What does the issue look like if you use a different model/theory?

•  Are you exploring issues from multiple perspectives?

5a. Additional questions from University & Training Organisations’ point of view

•  What regimens of coaching session frequency are you using? •  What proportion of your coaching time is spent actually coaching,

providing advice or consulting? •  What is the coach’s case conceptualisation? •  How well trained /prepared are you to be skilful in managing

boundaries effectively ? •  Do you have sufficient skills to negotiate confidentiality agreements? •  Do you have sufficient experience and training?

6. Questions from Professional Associations’ point of view

•  How have you formalised the issues of privacy, informed consent, boundaries and ethics?

•  What options do you see for dealing with this issue and what are the boundaries in terms of the contract?

•  How does the coaching engagement you are describing fit within the Association’s/Federation’s code of conduct?

Integration

•  The “6 x 5” Model of Coaching Supervision provides a practical framework that incorporates the two key dimensions of: –  coaching stakeholders –  Supervision activities

•  In practice this approach meets the desired standards of: –  supporting continuing professional development –  exploring linkages between theory and coaching practice –  assisting with quality of coaching delivery –  supporting the coach

Relevant literature references •  Blucket, Peter ‘Coaching Supervision’. Accessed on 01 04 08 from

http://www.pbcoaching.comm/article-coaching-supervision.php •  Cavanagh , Michael (2007) Feedback on Coaching Practice. In Creating Positive

Organsations through Coaching and Leadership @ AGSM 2008. •  Gray, David E. (2007) ‘Towards a systemic model of coaching supervision: Some

lessons from psychotherapeutic and counselling models’. Australian Psychologist, 42(4):300 – 309

•  Hewson (2002) Supervision of Psychologists: A Supervision Triangle. In M.McMahon & W. Patton (eds.), Supervision in the Helping Professions: A Practical Approach, Pearson Education, Sydney.

•  O’Neill Mary Beth (2000) Appendix 1: Assessing Your Coaching Effectiveness (pp209 – 213) in Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart. Jossey-Bass

•  Sampson, Jane; Cohen, Ruth; Boud, David: Anderson, Geoff. (1999) ‘Reciprocal Peer Learning’. University of Technology Sydney.

•  The British Psychological Society, Special Group in Coaching Psychology (2007) ‘Guidelines on supervision for Coaching Psychology’.

This 6 x 5 multi-dimensional approach to supervision of coaching is one effective way of meeting professional standards for coaching

supervision.

As such it provides a strong stake in the ground for the emerging profession

Thank You

Coaching Supervision • a stake in the ground to ensure professionalism while owning the need for diversity An empowering and collegiate experience