FAQ:

How common is coaching supervision?
What is good practise in supervision?
Why coaches don’t opt for supervision?
Why coaches do opt for supervision?
Who is most suited to supervision?
What does it cost?

How common is supervision in coaching?

Research sponsored by the CIPD in 2006 involved over 500 coaches and 128 suppliers of coaching services.  It resulted in some interesting statistics:

• While 86% of coaches responding to the survey believe that coaches should have coaching supervision, only 44% actually do so.
• The use of supervision is growing rapidly, with the majority of coaches staring supervision in the last two years.
• For those who organise coaching services, in all 88% say they believe coaches should have supervision.

“It seems that those who start to receive coaching supervision soon want more” says one supplier of coaches

“Coaches say supervision has evolved from being a ‘must do’ requirement. In other words of one: ‘I really look forward to my supervision sessions. I continue supervision because I want to and not because I’ve been told to’. .    

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What is good practise in supervision?

As examples of good practice, both the BBC and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) provide monthly supervision sessions to their coaches.

Good practise in supervision meets the following criteria:

• Take place regularly: either individually, in groups or both

• Address the needs of the coach, their clients, and the organisation (if applicable)

• Provides continuing professional development to the coach

• Quality assures coaching supervision

• Provides support to the coach

• Generates organisational learning

• Manages ethical and confidentiality boundaries

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What are the reasons that coaches are not automatically choosing to be in supervision in the same way that counsellors opt for supervision?

This is what coaches have said:
They don’t know what it is or how they could benefit “How can it possibly help me as a coach…?”
The think they don’t need it: “I am not a counsellor I don’t need it…!”
They don’t want to be overseen, monitored or policed: “I don’t want someone supervising my work…!”
They are sceptical of the value “It’s just another coaches selling to coaches scam…!”
Lack of understanding can lead to a financially based judgement “It’s expensive”

To answer some of these and other concerns:

• It is interesting how many coaches have misconceptions about coaching supervision that have discouraged them from trying it out. Some coaches have told me that they have steered away from supervision, fearing that they would be seen to be somewhat sub standard or in the category of “learners”. When they research supervision further, they soon discover the opposite is true. It is often the more experienced and more competent coaches and those seeking to become experienced and competent, who are the ones embracing supervision to further their personal and professional development. They also discover that a growing number of organisations won’t even consider a coach, unless they are in supervision..

• Coaching supervision, at least the supervision approach that I provide, is not about the coach feeling overseen, monitored, controlled or policed. It is very much about enabling the coach to self monitor, to see where they are working outside their capabilities and wherever possible,  supporting the coach expand their limits to step up to higher levels of working so more becomes possible.

• Whilst supervision is provided by trained coaches who have added to their skills by training it coaching supervision, and it is recommended to be a regular commitment, the costs are extraordinarily in low when the frequency of sessions is taken into account (sessions are usually monthly) and the additional value that supervision offers is considered.

The only real way of finding out what it is and experiencing the benefits is to try it out. A single session is a great starting point to enable a coach to find out if the process is helpful and valuable.

The counselling profession is ahead of the coaching profession; which is why it is widely considered essential in counselling and is rapidly moving in that direction for coaches.

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What are the reasons that coaches who choose to be in supervision do so?

The research indicates the following:

• Coaches love and value it – once they have tried it they don’t want to be without it.
• They see it as valuable for their credentials: Being seen as professional is important to them, as is “feeling” professional. It brings out the best in them.
• More and more buyers of coaching make it a pre-requisite for engagement.

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Who is most suited to being in supervision?

Whilst it is most widespread in executive coaching, it is valuable for every coach  who is serious and committed to both their service of their clients as well as their own professional and personal development. It is as valuable, for experienced coaches as it is for newer coaches.  A coach can never be too experienced to benefit from supervision.

It is particularly valuable for internal coaches and manages who take on coaching roles.

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Cost of supervision

Supervision is normally charged out at a premium rate over coaching. There are two reasons for this:

• It is a richer, more powerful process which facilitates greater levels of insight and transformation than coaching alone. I have called it “coaching in Technicolor”.

• Supervision sessions take place less frequently than coaching sessions, so a monthly investment  for a self-funding coach is likely to be less than a monthly investment in coaching.

My goal is to make supervision accessible to as many coaches as possible, who would like to benefit from it. As I charge up to £330 per hour for my coaching services, I have no need to charge all coaches the premium rate that is normally charged for supervision.  I offer differing fee structures:

• We simply agree a fee at a  premium of 20% on top of what a coach charges their clients, because of the additional value that working multi-dimensionally brings

• I offer “pay what you choose” supervision. This is an agreed monthly fee based on the value that the first session has provided, how much the coach charges their clients and the coach’s ability to pay for supervision.  The fee is proposed by the coach.

Supervision fees for organisations are subject to negotiation.

If you would like to explore accessing supervision, there are two routes to do so:

• Book a try it out supervision with me by emailing me or calling me.

• Indicate your future interest by signing up in the box to your upper right.

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