Lifting the Lid on Coaching Supervision

127 Episodes

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Lifting The Lid - Episode 125 - The fuzzy space between coaching and therapy

2024-10-1550:40

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

Lifting The Lid - Episode 124 - Organisational politics - the one with David Clutterbuck

2024-09-1753:35

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.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 123 - Using quotes - the one where making sense and meaning making are challenged

2024-08-2034:45

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"

Lifting The Lid - Episode 122 - Unsolicited interruptions - The one with the junk reaction

2024-07-1636:15

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.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 121 - Internal coaching research/ book with Val Hastings - The one where the seagull leaves a mess

2024-06-1850:46

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.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 120 - Are we losing the truth? - The one where we ask where the truth has gone and what happens if we seek it?

2024-05-2138:11

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'.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 119 - Ethics in coaching - The one with shades of grey

2024-04-1632:39

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 !

Lifting The Lid - Episode 118 - The one with the existential question and guest Yannick Jacob

2024-03-1950:08

Steve and Clare have a wide-ranging conversation with Yannick Jacob about the question “Who are you?” Why is this important? Because who you are is how you coach. And being your authentic self is how you differentiate yourself from the other coaches in the marketplace; and how you make connections (or not) with potential clients. We talk about the role of supervision in supporting this exploration, the role of reflective practice and the role of our initial training. You can connect with Yannick via his:Website for coaches: www.RocketSupervision.comCoaching Lab: www.GoCoachingLab.comCoaching website: www.existential.coachFree resources for coaches: https://rocketsupervision.com/free-stuff/ (including my Positive Psychology for Coaches eBook)Yannick Jacob is a coach, trainer and supervisor with a master's degree in existential coaching and applied positive psychology. He is part of the teaching faculties at Cambridge University and the International Centre for Coaching Supervision, and he’s the course director of the School of Positive Transformation’s Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching, for which he gathered many of the world’s most influential coaches and earliest pioneers.Formerly programme leader of the MSc Coaching Psychology at the University of East London, Yannick now presents at conferences internationally and his book, An Introduction to Existential Coaching, was published by Routledge. Committed to helping other coaches be the best coaches they can be, Yannick founded and hosts Yannick’s Coaching Lab which gives novice and seasoned coaches an opportunity to witness experienced coaches live in action, and he is the host of Animas Centre for Coaching's popular podcast Coaching Uncaged, as well as his own podcasts Talking about Coaching and Talking about Coaching and Psychedelics.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 117 - Changing hats as a coach - The one about Mr Benn

2024-02-2039:19

In today’s episode, Steve and Clare talk about the confusion that can happen – for both coach and thinker – when the coach changes hats. That might be moving from:consultant or mentor to coach and backleadership trainer to coach and backemployee to coach and backpsychometrics feedback giver to coach and backWe talk about how to make that clean such that the thinker knows which role you are playing – and so that you avoid a repositioning of power in this relationship of supposed equals. We also talk about the hats that supervisors might sometimes be invited to wear by supervisees – and which of those hats we hand back as soon as we can! What does Mr Benn have to do with it? If you grew up, like us, in the seventies in the UK, you will remember him going into the changing rooms and coming out wearing different outfits – not just different hats - then going off on an adventure based on that outfit. We found it funny anyway!

Lifting The Lid - Episode 116 - Climate change coaching - The one with bananas in a plastic bag

2024-01-1644:07

Clare and Steve are joined by Charly Cox from Climate Change Coaches and together we explore working with climate change.The largest single topic for us all as human beings today, Charly talks about her work training and guiding coaches to deal with the enormity of this vast subject area and the emotional connection that can come with it for both client and coach. We notice how collusion and judgement can be present and how emotions such as fear and guilt can emerge, yet we also reflect on how, with the support of supervision, coaches can discover patterns, resources and learning in their work, which can help them both to thrive with their clients, and also to develop their own approach to coaching and change.This is a topic we all need to embrace, so why not start here?Some links from our guest...https://climatechangecoaches.com/our-book/ ( a free chapter download on this page of our book and it has links to where to buy it )https://climatechangecoaches.com/coaches/ (coach training programme. beginning mid March)https://www.linkedin.com/in/charly-cox-co-founder-climate-change-coaches-cert-b-corp-907bb719/ (Charly on LinkedIn)

Lifting The Lid - Episode 115 - Evaluating our coaching - The one with the thank you email and the slap on the head with a wet fish

2023-12-1934:22

Clare and Steve explore how to evaluate our coaching (and also our supervision):How do we balance our needs with whether we are meeting those of our clients?How do we know?What can we pay attention to, and how can our self-awareness and self-development be used to support this process of evaluation?And what about feedback?Exploring this topic leaves our podcasters with new learning and a sense of gratitude.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 114 - Beginnings in coaching - The one where we talk about daisy chain thoughts

2023-11-2134:38

In today’s podcast, Steve and Clare discuss ways to start a coaching session. We’ve talked a good deal about endings, but less about beginnings. Here, we notice how the first minute in a coaching session provides rich data and that if we meet them where they are at that time, we can support the thinker to talk out loud and iterate in the moment about what’s most important to bring to this coaching session – much more than going into a standard question such as “what do you want to work on today?”

Lifting The Lid - Episode 113 - Broad or focused question? - The one where we ponder whether to open up or close down the coaching focus

2023-10-1733:18

Prompted by a supervisee, frustrated with where the coaching went after they asked a nice broad open question, Clare and Steve explore how to decide whether your next question should narrow the focus or broaden it out. Do you consciously decide and how sure are you of what your question is doing? Do you have a favourite focus; are you more comfortable going one way?

Lifting The Lid - Episode 112 - Client homework? - The one where homework frames bigger questions

2023-09-1934:17

Coaches sometimes give homework to their clients. Clare and Steve discuss their own experiences of this, revealing their personal belief systems about it. But is homework just one topic which shines a light on bigger questions for us as coaches, and would exploration of your take on homework, with your supervisor, prove useful? Perhaps it would?

Lifting The Lid - Episode 111 - Are you at your best as coach? - The one where fitness comes into question

2023-08-1529:29

"How does one know to say you're not fit for a session as a coach?" This was the group supervision question raised recently that Steve and Clare explore.Maybe you are physically, mentally or emotionally not at your 'best' level, but don't want to cancel with your client as they may judge you, you may feel guilty, or maybe you simply need the money? This a great topic for group supervision because we will all, as coaches, experience physical, emotional and mental 'dips' because ... we are all human.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 110 - The one about diversity, inclusion and belonging in coaching, with guest Salma Shah

2023-07-1847:58

Clare and Steve talk with Salma Shah about how to coach under-represented and minority groups in a majority space. We can all learn to listen more intently to what is going on for the people we work with, so as not to make any assumptions about their life experience or entanglements. Salma helps us to pay more attention to the subtleties of difference, no matter whether that is about being an introvert in an extroverted world or being from a working-class background in a middle-class organisation (to name just two that are less frequently talked about). But that in itself is a simplification, given the intersectionalities that exist within all of us. You’ll find Salma’s book here: https://amzn.eu/d/2tYPWF3 Salma is the Founder and Director of the award-winning Mastering Your Power, a certified coach training programme designed with a wider systemic lens of diversity, inclusion, belonging and equity. Based in London, UK she works with clients at a senior level in public, private and voluntary sectors; supervises and trains other coaches; presents at events both in the UK and internationally.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 109 - Slowing down or closing your business - The one with the will ... for retirement and business closure

2023-06-2033:33

At some point, we will all transition to working less or not at all. This sometimes comes to supervision. Given that the word comes from the French retirer, to withdraw (back to a place of safety), Clare and Steve discuss the importance of ending well in order to make a great, safe new beginning, finding one’s (new) identity; what it takes to shut down a business safely and satisfactorily.

Lifting The Lid - Episode 108 - The one where we reflect on creative reflective practice with Michelle Lucas

2023-05-2345:42

Clare and Steve talk with Michelle Lucas about stimulating ways to build reflective practice into your schedule. They discover that they all dislike journaling as a form of reflection, but that prompts that are auditory, visual, kinaesthetic and metaphorical approaches that can bring much more joy to reflective practice, and much more insight, compared to simply playing back what happened. Michelle’s book, Creating the Reflective Habit: A Practical Guide for Coaches, Mentors and Leaders, is on Amazon and in all good bookshops: https://amzn.eu/d/aEGHjyQHer monthly reflective practice sessions, where you reflect individually yet in community, can be booked on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/greenfields-reflective-practice-space-tickets-129774419783?aff=ebdsoporgprofileAnd you can connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-lucas-a542223

Lifting The Lid - Episode 107 - The one where Clare and Steve play with the notion of the games people play

2023-04-1836:46

Arising from Transactional Analysis, the idea of game-play originated by Eric Berne is the subject of this episode. In any human interaction or exchange, game-play is possible. Clare and Steve explore examples they have experienced in coaching and supervision. They refer to the social and psychological messages that lie underneath games and how our need for strokes might unconsciously draw us into games.Something to explore with your supervisor!

Lifting The Lid - Episode 106 - The one where we talk about the impact on coaching of anxiety about the world’s uncertainties

2023-03-2136:22

Clare and Steve wonder whether the anxiety that coaches, and clients, feel about the state of the world, leads to lower levels of courageous intervention in our coaching. This episode takes us through a model called BANI, developed by Jamais Cascio to replace VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), which Jamais suggests is becoming obsolete as the pace of change has become even greater. BANI stands for:BrittleAnxiousNon-linearIncomprehensibleYou can read more about it here: https://thinkinsights.net/leadership/bani/ As always, we encourage you to bring anything to supervision when you feel brittle or anxious and when the situation feels non-linear or incomprehensible. Given the complexities, this may need to be a theme for your supervision for a while.

#box-pro-ellipsis-17317242191326{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Lifting the Lid on Coaching Supervision

Lifting the Lid on Coaching Supervision