Supervision has always been part of my coaching practice and thanks to it I have been able to progress and not get stuck within my own limitations.

My training as a coach

During my apprenticeship as an executive coach, several group supervision sessions were integrated into each module of the program. We dealt with cases from our professional practice, individual clients and organizational issues. Thanks to this experience I realized the importance of sharing doubts and reflecting with others on the question of how to better intervene as a coach at different levels. For example: ethical issues, the importance of setting boundaries, the dynamics between the different parts of the system and the contracting between all. 

Between modules we worked with an external Mentor coach, who gave us feedback on recorded coaching sessions. I remember the satisfaction I felt when I received feedback on the improvements I achieved, especially the fact that I stopped leading my client and took a much more neutral stance. 

Coinciding with my development as an executive coach, new organizational coaching projects started to come in for our company. We hired a supervisor who came every 3 months from England to work individually with us. She represented another set of eyes and gave us the opportunity to reflect on our business model, the dynamics between our team members and the relationships with our clients.

Supervision acts as a safety net, allowing us to question our practice for possible conflicts of interest and to ensure that we are working in accordance with the ethical codes in force. 

In addition, the relationship between supervisor and supervisee is very different from the relationship between coach and coachee. It is not so much fixed on achieving a goal based on behavioral change, although it may be a component within the contract. 

It is more of a peer-to-peer relationship and this helps to foster a trusting, often long-term relationship that facilitates two-way feedback. Thus, supervision helps the supervisee to see him/herself through the eyes of others, and to know more about his/her own impact on them. This enhances the mentee's maturity and improves his or her skills as a coach or mentor.

I received some very important feedback from my supervisor early on in my coaching journey. It opened my eyes to how I experienced my presence during supervision. It invited me to consider the possibilities of matching my energy levels to those of my clients. This energy can create an obstacle for people who are more shy or introverted. I learned the need to listen, observe and feel my clients at deeper levels. I began to recognize the noise in my brain and notice the tension in my being. 

Thanks to simple deep breathing and relaxation techniques, I have learned to open the door to a quiet space for myself and my clients. Through the supervision I have received over the years, as well as several specialized courses where I have worked on my self-knowledge, I have learned to detect the transference of emotions between me and my client, and to know how to share with him/her what comes to me. 

I remember an instance when I came out of a coaching session with doubts about how to share what I was feeling with my client. I took it to my supervision and realized the weight she was carrying without realizing it. Her attitude was negative and she was always blaming others, despite her status in the organization. I found that I needed courage to be honest with her. 

The result of my feedback was shocking, a harsh revelation. I was not aware of his "victim" posture.

She realized that she needed to make changes in her life and thanked me for turning the light on for her. Months later, after finishing the coaching process, she shared with me that she had left the organization and was very happy building her new professional project.  

The importance of supervision to work on my own well-being is another priceless benefit. The different demands I experience between my personal and professional life sometimes present me with difficult moments. After sharing concerns with my supervisor, I see the opportunity to gratefully let go of certain activities or seek more help. 

My training as a supervisor

Enrolling in the supervisor training program was a very important step in my life. I decided to go back to my roots and train at Ashridge, where I had previously completed the Masters in Organizational Consulting. Because of the nature of supervisory work, it is essential that you, as a trainee, have experienced the high and low tides of life and learned how to navigate them.  

Returning to this birthplace, with its historic spaces and gardens for reflection, allowed me to recognize and celebrate all my accumulated learning, in all aspects of my life. It was the beginning of the next phase of the journey. 

During the program we were invited to slow down our mode of transportation, park it and be still. We learned to look and reflect with our eyes focused on the system, we studied the dynamics and what happens between the protagonists of a case, and how this is reflected in what happens between the supervisee and the supervisor. We reflected on how to enable transformation, thanks to our interventions, and we took an ethical bath. We inquired about different ethical models and practiced and wrote about our own experiences for two years. 

Deepening my skills in reflective practice was one of the most important growth points for me. I used to avoid inquiring about my own sensations and all that can be revealed through this. Now, as a supervisor, it gives me great satisfaction to hold sacred space for my supervisees as we discover together this hidden treasure. 

The world of supervision

One of the most valuable gifts of supervision is participating in the growing networks of support that exist among supervisors globally. It allows a willingness to share and grow together that I get the impression does not exist as much among coaches. Thanks to my colleagues around the world, I have learned that I do not work alone. And thanks to the Peer Supervision experience, the idea of "Supervision-Space" was born.

Louise Schubert