By Luba Diasamidze
“Supervision as Transformation” (2011), edited by Robin Shohet, allows the reader to hear different voices, read about different applications of the supervision across industries and different types of clients that supervision can serve.
If you are new to supervision, the book is a wonderful opportunity to see multiple applications of supervision. It describes the value of supervision, saying that it is a “strategic withdrawal”, like “taking your car to be serviced”.
Supervision is often mentioned when a coach wants to find ways to improve his practice and resolve some inner conflicts they may be experiencing while working with clients, preparing for sessions or coaching engagements, and working with sponsors. Apart from that supervision can be used to help coaches manage their own personal issues, which may impact their coaching practice, such as personal or family issues, managing boundaries or dealing with authority and power. Another application of supervision discussed in the book was supervision for organizational leaders and teams. “Supervision as Transformation” mentions the importance of meaningful reflective conversations for responsible leadership. It can create space for leaders to inquire about their meaning-making system, which at the end of the day will affect their teams and the whole organization.
The first part of the book focuses on the role of the supervisor in the coaching relationship. It explores the power dynamics, the importance of establishing trust and rapport, and the art of active listening. It also addressed the difference between a perceived role of the supervisor and the actual role of the supervisor. Many coaches, especially at earlier stages of their practice, need someone to support them. They may face multiple challenges, negative self-talk, inner critic, and they may become over reliant on their supervisor. Supervisors support coaches in the development of their reflective practice. It is important that the supervisor stays in a curious and partnering position. They can share their own perspectives and thoughts and act as an experienced reflective partner. However, supervisors cannot let the client assign the role of a rescuer to them; they are not there to save their supervisees.
The second part of the book explores the process of supervision itself and highlights the key skills and techniques required for effective supervision, such as questioning, feedback, and reflection.
A great reminder from the book was to consider two aspects of the change process. It often happens with help of critical thinking and using one’s cognition. The book argues that there is too much emphasis on mind-based learning. Change can also happen at an emotional level. One quote from the book that describes that perfectly well for me was “Learning is an emotional experience, not only a rational one.”
Transformational learning requires relationship with reflection. One of the chapters says that “for transformation to occur, our ‘habits of mind’ and frames of reference need to be challenged and this can take place though cognitive dissonance” or “disorientating dilemmas”. This is a great example of how we can invite a transformation process if we enrich learning and development interventions with some dilemmas that challenge participants’ way of thinking and perceiving their world.