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February 09, 2009

Getting the most out of coaching supervision

At a recent conference I was asked the following question: "How do I get the most out of my coaching supervision?" This is a wonderful question and there's no short answer, so here are some of my thoughts that I offered in reply and maybe I'll add some more next time I write the blog...

Give some thought to what coaching supervision might mean to you and therefore what you want to get out of it. I'd encourage you to explore these possibilities with your supervisor.

Consider how you like to learn and explore this with your supervisor, so you can share your client work in a way that you can both capitalise on your learning style.

Of course it helps if you are prepared, so consider any of the following as possible areas for exploration and discussion:

> Issues from your coaching which are preoccupying or puzzling you right now

> Sharing the good work you have done with a particular coachee – think about what worked and why

> Reviewing an aspect of your work as a coach you would like to improve, for example, ending a coaching contract

> Specific coachees and the organisational system in which they operate – how they might be connected or not

> Any ethical questions that you're unsure about

> What you're choosing to leave out or not take to supervision, and why

I've updated the calendar on the What's On page, so you can see some interesting workshops and events in 2009 that I've got my eye on. If you know of others that you think would be of interest, then please do let me know.

Posted by Alison at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)

February 04, 2009

Happy New Year to everyone! So, where have I been?

I know it's already February and the past eight weeks have been very intense. I offered to participate in the EMCC Individual Accreditation pilot scheme and this proved to be a hugely demanding task resulting in a tome of 150 pages of my review and analysis of the following: my philosophy of coaching and the values and beliefs that underpin my practice; my executive coaching knowledge and skills against 47 competences, my CPD and reflections on my learning during the past year and my contribution to the profession.

At this stage, I would add that I worked very closely with a buddy on this project and that has been an amazing experience. Our protective masks of "I am good enough" and "I can prove my competence" rapidly disappeared as we grappled with interpreting the instructions and scrolled through our respective personal and career histories to recall what we know, how we know it, and how we apply it when coaching. We then offered our thinking to each other for challenge and feedback through which process we managed to complete what was a very lengthy document.

There was no time to stand on ceremony or grandiosity about how we were meant to appear to each other. I really valued being able to share my "warts and all" anxiety, uncertainties and frustration with what we were trying to do and how we could meet the assessment criteria, through which process I gained clarity and understanding in how to proceed. I think my buddy would agree. In hindsight I'm sure I'll come to appreciate the depth and value of my rich pageant of lived and learned experience that enables me to practice ethically and effectively in this profession.

I'll wait until I've heard the result to offer my full-blown reflections on the process of completing the application and my learning from this.

Posted by Alison at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)