I’ve been facing the challenge of describing clearly what I do in supervision – who I work with, what problems I help solve, and what difference it makes. For people who haven’t received professional supervision in the past it can be a hard concept to grasp.
Most of us know what a check-out operator at the supermarket does. Their job is mostly in front of us, and we can see the process, extrapolate other parts of their job, and have a common understanding. We can also see the direct benefit to ourselves. We can pay for our groceries efficiently, swiftly, pleasantly and if we are lucky end up with our eggs and bananas unsquashed.
Supervision, however, takes place in private, in a confidential manner, and only the supervisee and supervisor are aware of what occurs. While there are guidelines that are followed and a supervision process is used, the session doesn’t follow a prescription, and different issues are explored each time. It is completely dependent on the supervisee’s learning needs, their work context and the individual supervision agreement as to what is covered.
However there are key elements that are the same each time including:
Rapport – the relationship between supervisee and supervisor is developed to ensure trust and a feeling of connection.
Reflective questioning – eg “Can you think of any similar situations you have experienced in the past, and if so what did you do then?”
Support and Encouragement – supervision is as much a chance to celebrate what we have done well, as it is an opportunity to analyse what needs working on.
Client focused – the practitioner’s client or clients are the fundamental focus of the supervision session – either directly during case discussion, or indirectly when talking about service delivery, best practice or the supervisee’s well being in their workplace.
So this is where I’ve got to in my challenge….
With Emerge Supervision you get:
- A calm, safe, reflective space away from work so that you can explore the daily work issues you get bogged down in, gain increased clarity and discover the right next step for you.
- Individualised practical tools and strategies based on an understanding of your unique work context so that you can put into practice the changes you want to make in your work life.
- A non-judgmental, positive, respectful understanding of your work dilemmas so you feel heard and can safely explore your work challenges to gain new insight.
- A focused, effective session that hones in on the real issues so that you get value for money and the time you take out of your work schedule.
- An independent external supervisor so that you can raise issues in your work life knowing the information is kept confidential and will not reflect unfavourably on your working conditions.
In some professions supervision is well understood, and even mandated, but for others it is not fully utilised. Supervision has something to offer anyone working with clients in the health sector, caregiving, social services and other “people-focused” professions. I also work with mind-body practitioners and those in business.
Whew – getting that clear was tricky and involved some serious Frog eating! If you haven’t encountered Frogs yet follow this link and sign up under the Free Resources heading to get your Free e-book “12 Tried and True Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals”.
I hope that by being clearer about what I offer you can feel confident of getting the deluxe supermarket experience with no squashed bananas.
