The 8th International Conference in Coaching Supervision, 11 May, Oxford

Having a clear definition of coaching supervision, sharing best practice, embedding supervision into coach training, and researching the impact of supervision on both coaches and wider stakeholders- these are the key challenges and priorities for the field of coaching supervision.

This was the consensus around priorities for challenges and next steps among some 40 coach supervisor delegates at a session held at the 8th International Conference on Coaching Supervision held at Oxford Brookes University on 11 May. The delegates were invited by Peter Hawkins, Carol Whitaker and Kristina Crabbe to discuss and reflect on findings from their Global Supervisors’ Network research on the state of coaching supervision across the globe (see full report in Vol 14, issue 2), building further on their collaborative enquiry. At the conference, the group of delegates from the UK, Australia, Finland, France, and the Netherlands replicated findings from the first set of participants in terms of key priorities and challenges.

At the conference in Oxford, the delegates were invited to record their regions, challenges and next steps on post-it notes and placing them on flip charts. They were then clustered and added to the original data which Hawkins used to build on and enrich the data, adding additional challenges and opportunities and expanding the body of knowledge.

Delegates were then given three stars and asked to vote on their priorities for the coaching supervision profession going forward, on the combined list of challenges and next steps.

The second group in May identified in addition the need for the professional bodies to have a common shared definition and guidelines, the need to increase the diversity of coaching supervisors which was considered “pale, western, middle class and mature!” and to review the provision for the supervision of supervisors and increase the tailored CPD for supervisors.

The post-it data for challenges in taking coaching supervision forward was dominated by a call to take a systemic perspective – the needs of coaches, clients, organisations and all stakeholders and potentially next steps to continually educate the market.

 

What they said

“What if, what, how, why supervision?” delegate from Finland

“We’ve just run an interview series on meet the supervisor….it identifies how and what they do, what it is and what it means” delegate from the UK

“Some coaching schools should be educated to educate on what coaching supervision is” delegate from South Africa

“(we need to ) increase awareness in client organisations of the value of coaching supervision: risk, governance and impact” delegate from Australia.

“(we need to) “start research on “effects of supervision on the coachee and its organisation” delegate from France

“Supervision is still optional – this needs to change” delegate from the UK

“(it’s about) encouraging the diversity of supervisors” delegate from the UK

“(we need) “on-going training and supervision groups for supervisors” delegate from UK