Supervision defined by EMCC
The European Mentoring and Coaching Council
has been among the institutions
earliest involved in shaping supervision.
Supervision is the interaction that occurs when a mentor or coach brings their coaching or mentoring work experiences to a supervisor in order to be supported and to engage in reflective dialogue and collaborative learning for the development and benefit of the mentor or coach, their clients and their organisations.
The functions of supervision include:
- Developing the competence and capability of the coach / mentor.
- Providing a supportive space for the coach / mentor to process the experiences they have had when working with clients.
- Encouraging professional practice related to quality, standards and ethics.
Supervision defined by AOCS
The Association Of Coaching Supervisors groups
its members specifically around coaching supervision
since 2013.
Supervision on a 1-1 or group basis is the formal opportunity for coaches working with clients to share, in confidence, their case load activity to gain insight, support and direction for themselves and thereby enabling them to better work in the service of their clients.
As a coach you have the professional capacity to help bring about important changes for individuals, groups and organisations, however your work can also deeply influence people who are in a life-changing situation or transition and who may be rendered vulnerable and possibly dependent.
Coaches need supervision and increasingly corporate clients and procurement specialists are making evidence of regular supervision part of their quality assurance process. A supervisor is a more experienced coach who:
- Helps you benchmark your practice against best practice
- Works through ethical dilemmas with you
- Brings a perspective about the quality of the coaching practice
Coaching supervision draws on the best practice of psychotherapy and counselling supervision and places it within a coaching orientation. As such, it upholds the principles of coaching and mentoring and the coaching relationship.
