In this series, I explore some of the answers to one of the most common questions that I am asked as a coach and coaching supervisor: “Why do coaches need supervision?”. The literature about coaching supervision suggests that there are three main purposes of coaching supervision, support, development and quality assurance. Here, I consider the second of these – the professional development support offered by supervision.
The Formative Aspect of Supervision: Developing Skills and Competence
Supervision in coaching is more than just a space for emotional support, it also plays an important role in learning and continuing professional development. The formative aspect of supervision focuses on enhancing coaches’ skills, knowledge and competence in their coaching practice. This aspect of supervision is particularly useful for NHS health coaches as although they should have completed PCI-accredited training before starting work, realistically the 4 days’ mandatory training can only just start to scratch the surface of coaching knowledge, therefore learning through ongoing supervision and reflective practice is essential. In this post, we’ll explore how supervision helps coaches develop their competence, gain new insights, and develop their practice.
Enhancing Skills Through Feedback One of the key functions of formative supervision is providing constructive feedback. Supervisors and supervision groups discuss real-life coaching scenarios, offering insights into areas for development and consider alternative strategies or tools for the coaching. Feedback also highlights strengths and celebrates good practice so coaches can do more of what works well, this helps coaches to build confidence in their abilities while addressing any gaps in knowledge or technique.
Expanding Perspectives Supervision offers the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives on challenging client cases. Often, when working closely with a client, it’s easy to become stuck in a particular way of thinking. The Johari window model highlights the importance of being aware of ‘blind spots’ or the ‘unknown unknowns’. A supervisor can help coaches uncover any blind spots, offer alternative viewpoints and suggest different approaches or techniques that the coach might not have considered.
Looking from different perspectives helps coaches to develop their toolkit of coaching models and tools for their ongoing practice.
Continuous Professional Development. Supervision provides a space for ongoing learning in the rapidly evolving fields of health coaching and lifestyle medicine, supporting coaches to keep updated with new models, research, and techniques. Supervisors can recommend resources, share best practice and introduce new coaching frameworks that enhance a coach’s knowledge and competence.
An emphasis on continuous learning helps coaches ensure that they provide high-quality, evidence-based coaching to their patients.
Self-Awareness. A significant part of formative supervision involves helping coaches develop greater self-awareness. It is difficult to maintain a ‘helicopter view’ of the coaching process whilst working in the coaching room as the coach. Coaches are human, and it is normal for coaches to unintentionally overlook things that may be influencing the coaching, such as communication style, assumptions about clients, or unconscious biases that may be influencing their work. By bringing these areas into awareness, supervision helps coaches become more intentional and reflective in their practice. This deepened self-awareness leads to more effective coaching and a better understanding of themselves as professionals.
Building Competence and Confidence: Formative supervision is about building both competence and confidence. As coaches receive feedback, learn new approaches, and reflect on their blind spots, they become more skilled and confident in their abilities. This leads to better outcomes for clients and a more fulfilling practice for the coach.
If you’re a coach, take a few minutes to reflect on whether you are making the most of your supervision sessions. How does your supervision support your professional development? What could you take to your next supervision session help you move forward with your professional development?
If you don’t have access to specific coaching supervision, our programme can connect you into a supervision group led by a fully qualified health coaching supervisor. Contact us at support@keraconsultancyltd.com for further details.