Claim OwnershipLifting the Lid on Coaching Supervision
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© Copyright Clare Norman & Steve Ridgley
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Welcome to this monthly podcast in which Clare Norman and Steve Ridgley ‘lift the lid’ on coaching supervision.
We are both experienced coaches and coach supervisors, passionate about the value that comes from supervision. We will share our experiences, knowledge, wisdom and insight as we set out in this podcast series to explore what supervision is, what it isn’t, what it’s like, how you might show up, what you might bring and how to get the most out of supervision.
We will share stories on this journey. Sometimes our personal stories, both as a coach and as a supervisor, but also examples of what coaches have brought to some of our supervision sessions.
It’s basically just Clare and Steve having a chat, swapping anecdotes and lifting the lid on key questions that might exist for coaches who are yet to explore supervision or who don’t feel they get value from being in supervision. Questions such as…
How is supervision different to coaching?
Group supervision, mentor coaching, 1-2-1, peer supervision - which do I choose?
What should I take to supervision?
Am I resourced enough to coach?
Can I talk about my business with my supervisor?
Am I in a rut as a coach?
How do I move my client forward?
Am I leading my client?
Is the goal everything?
… and much much more.
Join us on our monthly exploration of coaching supervision as we set out to tell some truths and lift the lid on supervision.
You can reach us directly at:
Clare Norman - clare@clarenormancoachingassociates.com
Steve Ridgley - steve@idcoach.co.uk
If you would like to know more, or for us to explore a specific topic, send us your question.
This podcast is supported by:
The Trusted Coach Directory www.trustedcoachdirectory.com
The Association of Coaching Supervisors
https://www.associationofcoachingsupervisors.com/supervisors/search
and
McGraw Hill Publishing
https://www.mheducation.co.uk/mentor-coaching-a-practical-guide-9780335248797-emea-group
We are both experienced coaches and coach supervisors, passionate about the value that comes from supervision. We will share our experiences, knowledge, wisdom and insight as we set out in this podcast series to explore what supervision is, what it isn’t, what it’s like, how you might show up, what you might bring and how to get the most out of supervision.
We will share stories on this journey. Sometimes our personal stories, both as a coach and as a supervisor, but also examples of what coaches have brought to some of our supervision sessions.
It’s basically just Clare and Steve having a chat, swapping anecdotes and lifting the lid on key questions that might exist for coaches who are yet to explore supervision or who don’t feel they get value from being in supervision. Questions such as…
How is supervision different to coaching?
Group supervision, mentor coaching, 1-2-1, peer supervision - which do I choose?
What should I take to supervision?
Am I resourced enough to coach?
Can I talk about my business with my supervisor?
Am I in a rut as a coach?
How do I move my client forward?
Am I leading my client?
Is the goal everything?
… and much much more.
Join us on our monthly exploration of coaching supervision as we set out to tell some truths and lift the lid on supervision.
You can reach us directly at:
Clare Norman - clare@clarenormancoachingassociates.com
Steve Ridgley - steve@idcoach.co.uk
If you would like to know more, or for us to explore a specific topic, send us your question.
This podcast is supported by:
The Trusted Coach Directory www.trustedcoachdirectory.com
The Association of Coaching Supervisors
https://www.associationofcoachingsupervisors.com/supervisors/search
and
McGraw Hill Publishing
https://www.mheducation.co.uk/mentor-coaching-a-practical-guide-9780335248797-emea-group
140 Episodes
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Prompted by a great question Clare was asked, we explore whether supervision, because it allows for advice giving, is in fact just lazy coaching? We explore the challenges, the focus, the facilitation, the timeframes, the co-learning, the breadth and plethora of topics as we lift the lid a touch further on what supervision can be.
This podcast sometimes looks at what has presented itself at Clare and Steve's supervision 1-1s and groups.In this episode, they step into their own vulnerability to share the themes they are taking to their own supervision of their coaching and supervision.Those themes? Landscapes and love, confidence and complacency, the risks and the rewards.
Clare and Steve explore how shifting our perspective can change how we show up and how we coach. Maybe it's through whose eyes we are seeing the problem, maybe it's where we're looking from, when we're looking, how our energy and state influence our perspective, or maybe something else? Reviewing and reflecting on the dimensions of our perspective on a situation can be an invaluable reflection and lead to unexpected shifts in our work. Maybe share your sense of your perspective on some aspect of your work next time you go to supervision?
What if your client comes alive with only 5 minutes of the session to go? How does that impact you, the coach, and what flexibility should we have for our clients' needs? Where does contracting come in and are we too focused on the transactional elements of that and on our needs? Could we pay more attention to our client's emotional and psychological needs and be contracting more on endings and on the spaces between coaching sessions?
In this podcast, you will hear Clare and Steve discussing group supervision in particular, and how to recontract with the group for what you need. This is not just about what you need from the supervisor, but what you need and want from the group. In self-led supervision (as Louise Shepperd would call it, you have a collective responsibility as a group to define your boundaries, limits, preferences and deal-breakers (Terri Cole). This is for all to decide, and must not bypass group discussion by relying on the supervisor to “put things right”. How do you show up in groups? Are you there for yourself alone, or do you see yourself having collective responsibility to the group’s learning?
If you have considered supervision, but not yet taken the plunge, one core reason you might, is duty of care. When might the duty of care to your client, the client's wider system - eg their family or team, or duty of care for yourself, challenge your coaching? Would you even spot it? Is supervision itself an act of duty of care to self? Coaching can be a lonely business, and supervision can support you in that. Steve and Clare also touch on where ethics, boundaries and duty of care meet. Steve introduces the concept of the Peacock's Tail, a systemic representation of systems of belonging.
Coaching is more than just the session itself. It’s also about the wrap-arounds that create the container – and as is often the case, Steve and Clare find a metaphor that’s useful to their own understanding, that of a boiled sweet (the coaching or supervision itself) with a wrapper that has twisted ends. There are so many aspects to creating this wrapper – the contract being one, but also the work of the coaching custodian before coach and thinker even get to talk to each other, then there’s the preparatory work that we might ask the thinker to think through and the analysis afterwards. And all of this applies to us when we go into supervision too.
In this episode, Clare and Steve talk about the impact of economic decisions (whether by our own UK government by the US presidency or elsewhere in the world). This conversation was triggered by a communication from a coaching platform to its coaches, but it became much more wide-ranging, as we talked about ripple effects in all areas of our work. We ask the question “Who tells coaches what we can and cannot do?” and then we meander into other arenas, including a reflection about the confidentiality and data protection of our virtual software platforms and other coach tech. As they say after potentially triggering TV shows, “If you are affected by the content of this programme, you can get help by…” talking with your supervisor. You do not need to face this alone.Get in touch if you need to talk:Clare Norman clare@clarenormancoachingassociates.comSteve Ridgley steve@illuminateddandelion.co.uk
Clare and Steve explore what we as coaches might be expected to know, or do, when starting work with a client who has a diagnosed mental health condition. Even without clinical knowledge, is it possible to contract and move forward in a coaching relationship? How can supervision support you? What if your client has said nothing, but you have a suspicion that there might be a mental health condition present? If you yourself have a diagnosable mental health condition as a coach, what might you expect from a supervisor?
In this episode, Clare and Steve are joined by Ginny Baillie who has much to say about associate work whether that is via a coaching platform or through an associate coaching company. We talk about the need for thinkers to have awareness, willingness and responsibility for the coaching to make an impact, and how current models of associate work may not be setting thinkers up for success against these criteria. Relationship building is top of Ginny’s top tips for associate work. She mentions two useful books: The Prosperous Coach https://amzn.eu/d/070wFzOsandThe Journey of a Prosperous Coach https://amzn.eu/d/06r7fxFq You can find out more about Ginny at HOME | Ginny Baillie coaching
In today’s episode, Steve and Clare ask the question ‘who is the customer’ when the organisation is paying for coaching. The discussion meanders (as always) throughthe coach’s obligations in the three-way contractthe data (source unknown) suggests that 91% of clients change what they want from coaching part-way through the coachinggoing with the flowthe coach understanding the leadership development strategy of the organisation by way of context for the coachingthe coaching custodian’s role in all of this. A term coined by Clare and Sam Humphrey in Clare's new book, Cultivating Coachability the influence that the coach can have on said coaching custodians, once the coach has figured out their own guiding principlesEnjoy dear listeners!This podcast series is supported by Trusted Coach DirectoryIn an unregulated industry, where anyone can call themselves a coach, the Trusted Coach Directory exists to raise the profile, credibility and standard of professional coaches and supervisors. Visit TrustedCoachDirectory.com
"What if you, the coach, think the learner/client's idea is 'bonkers', do you stick to a coaching frame or not?" - this was a question a coach brought to supervision recently. Clare and Steve explore this idea, confessing that we might all have guilty imps where we might deviate from the formal 'proper' coaching path. What strategies might you take when your inner imp says "You know this approach isn't proper, but go on, do it ...." This leads the conversation to the benefits of bringing the seemingly insignificant to supervision; also bringing our blindspots - confessing our in-the-moment self-realisation, inspired through the thoughts, approaches and comments other coaches bring to group supervision - being vulnerable enough to admit that we too have a guilty secret.The conversation turns to the power within bringing simple, small items to supervision - Less is more often when we come to supervision. The conversation meanders to right and wrong paths, right and wrong questions and the unconscious bias in our unintentional leading of our clients, which leads to an 'ouch' moment... and a listener award.This podcast series is supported by Trusted Coach DirectoryIn an unregulated industry, where anyone can call themselves a coach, the Trusted Coach Directory exists to raise the profile, credibility and standard of professional coaches and supervisors. Visit TrustedCoachDirectory.com
Clare and Steve discuss some common challenges for coaches, beginning with feeling inadequate or "not good enough," often stemming from a lack of external feedback after completing coach training. They note this "playing small" mindset typically evolves over time into a desire to "play bigger" and have more impact. And yet, even experienced coaches can doubt themselves. Also, if we play too big we risk reducing the 'size' of our clients or our fellow coaches in group supervision. Right-sizing ourselves is a never-ending quest. Contrary to this idea of a quest though, the conversation touches both Clare and Steve in the profound realisation that acknowledgement is the key to supervision. Acknowledging who you are, where you are, and what you are feeling no matter whether you think this is “big enough” to bring to supervision. In doing so, the paradoxical nature of change will enable your growth without the need to strive. We are all good enough!This podcast series is supported by Trusted Coach DirectoryIn an unregulated industry, where anyone can call themselves a coach, the Trusted Coach Directory exists to raise the profile, credibility and standard of professional coaches and supervisors. Visit TrustedCoachDirectory.com
Clare and Steve are joined in conversation by Angela Jopling. Angela describes herself as a coach of 26 years, a Supervisor of 15 years, psychotherapy trained who operates in the fuzzy space. We have all noticed how the space between coaching and therapy is blurring. 20 years ago Angela wrote a thesis on this fuzzy space whilst doing her master's degree in psychotherapy.Often coaches are cautious about the counselling or therapy space, but as Angela points out, the core of both these disciplines is presence, listening and holding the space. As coaches, we are often comfortable with TA tools such as ego states, drama triangle, parent adult, child. Also with Gestalt techniques such as chair work, NLP techniques and behavioural change from CBT - much of this emanates from the world of therapy. We explore how coaches might find their own way to navigate the fuzzy space whilst recognising how to 'hand off' a client to another specialist if required. As ever, it's about doing your own work on yourself, to determine where your fuzzy space starts and ends.Angela is starting a theraputic coaching supervision group. Find out more here https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/281yr2ry3yh6wz7etskae/Therapeutic-Coaching-Supervision-Group.pdf?rlkey=ud4zirr0dunah6swdewqmtpwr&st=31rbe2c2&dl=0This podcast series is supported by Trusted Coach DirectoryIn an unregulated industry, where anyone can call themselves a coach, the Trusted Coach Directory exists to raise the profile, credibility and standard of professional coaches and supervisors. Visit TrustedCoachDirectory.com
David Clutterbuck describes himself as a provocateur in our coaching and supervision space. And that’s how he showed up in this podcast with Steve and Clare, with provocations about politics in organisations. How does this relate to coaching? Much more than we might ever imagine. Every relationship is political in some shape or form, for the benefit or for the detriment of the parties.Think of the system as a body that is suffering pain: what are the headaches in that system, what are people running away from, what blood (communications) is not flowing etc.There is a silent conspiracy to ignore, and we must open our eyes as well as those of the people with whom we work. What do they not want to look at? What are they ignoring? What do they not want to say?Organisational politics and culture are the focus of the discussion, but as ever we drift into all sorts of interesting spaces... for example, what are your beliefs, as a coach, about politics? How are you building political astuteness?Useful stuff. And if you want to learn more, you can read David and his colleagues’ 2023 book "Coaching, Mentoring and Organisational Politics", published by our sponsor Open University Press. David Clutterbuck, Tim Bright, Lise Lewis and Riddhika Khoosal.
Exploring our work through considering a quote is the topic of the day. Clare and Steve discuss using quotes as a way to stimulate new thinking and to reflect more deeply on our work. The conversation delves deep into what does it mean to 'make sense' or 'understand' and what is 'meaning making'? The use of a quote opens up an inner exploration which travels far beyond simple conscious thinking."I am the rails on which the moment passes"
When the personal intrudes on the professional, we might consider bringing that to supervision. Sometimes that personal stuff may seem really trivial, but if it’s getting in the way of us being the best coach for the people with whom we work, then we have a duty of care to clear the air for ourselves.In this episode, Clare and Steve talk about our reaction to unsolicited email and LinkedIn junk mail as one such example of where emotions (in both our cases, annoyance and frustration) can get in our way. It’s a distraction from what matters most, interference in our daily choices and the “recovery time” to get our heads back in gear can be considerable. Our beliefs and values about politeness are tested. Thinking about how to respond, indeed whether to respond are all part of the disruption. This might feel like something inconsequential when it comes to our coaching, but anything that takes us away from full presence is worth time in supervision. This is just one example of many seemingly trivial and yet sometimes stressing considerations for supervision.
Steve and Clare are joined by Val Hastings, author of "Coaching from the Inside", a book exploring the guiding principles of internal coaching. Whilst this book is the sum of research into internal coaching from interviewing internal coaches from around the world, Val's book is a must read for all coaches starting out on their coaching journey, whether external or internal. Our podcasters explore beyond the challenges for internal coaches, how they are perceived, lessons for external coaches, challenges from the inside, ethical dilemmas, coach community, coaching readiness and much more.
Prompted by Steve asking 'Are we losing the truth?' Our podcasters notice how our relationship to the truth is being pulled in multiple directions - be it government, social media, mainstream media - we are, it seems, simultaneously hunting for the truth, but also easily persuaded into believing anything is the truth. Clare and Steve take this hypothesis into the coaching and supervision space and ask what happens if we as the coach or supervisor chase the truth? We explore what it might mean to 'lean out' to see more and to 'bathe in the not knowing'.
Today Clare and Steve explore the topic of ethics - please don't switch off! Our podcasters challenge the notion that ethics are clear and that there is an answer as to what is right or wrong when we coach.We explore how ethics and moral codes are inter-connected, and how what might be the right or wrong way forward in an ethical dilemma might be more a function of your personal moral code, your client's, the relationship and the contextual situation than it is anything else. It certainly may not be as simple as your supervisor's view, what the coaching bodies say, what your training taught you or a chapter in a book.There are many shades of grey - we couldn't comment on how many !
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