working with the organisational system; with leaders, managers and internal coaches
podcast – lifting the lid on coaching supervision
The podcast
Steve, here at idcoach, records a monthly podcast with Clare Norman (author, supervisor and coach). They discuss questions coaches may have as they ‘lift the lid’ on coaching supervision.
Questions such as…
How is supervision different to coaching? Group supervision, 1-2-1 supervision, peer supervision, mentor coaching – which do I choose? What should I take to supervision? Am I resourced enough to coach? Can I talk about my business with my supervisor? Am I in a rut as a coach? Am I leading my client? Is the goal everything?
… and much much more.
Steve and Clare, both experienced coaches and coach supervisors, are passionate about the value that comes from supervision. In this podcast they chat, swap anecdotes and challenge each other as they share their experiences, knowledge, wisdom and insight exploring what supervision is, what it isn’t, what it’s like, how you might show up, what you might bring and how to get the most out of supervision.
Join us. Listen here, or subscribe free with your favourite podcast provider.
This podcast sometimes looks at what has presented itself at Steve and Clare’s supervision, either 1-1s or groups. In this episode, they step into their own vulnerability to share the themes they are taking to their own supervision of their coaching and supervision.
Steve and Clare explore how shifting our perspective can change how we show up and how we coach
Just five minutes of your coaching session remains and your client has an epiphany! What now?
Clare and Steve discuss collective responsibility in group supervision. How do you show up in groups? Are you there for yourself alone, or do you see yourself having collective responsibility to the group’s learning? Do you take responsibility to contract for what you need?
When might the duty of care to your client, the client’s wider system – eg their family or team, or duty of care for yourself, challenge your coaching? Would you even spot it? Is supervision itself an act of duty of care to self? Steve and Clare explore this crucial topic.
Coaching is more than just the session itself. It’s also about the wrap-arounds that create the container. In this episode Steve and Clare explore the elements of the relationship that require time and focus to get right, before the coaching even begins, or ends well. Something that often causes issue if ignored and hence shows up in supervision.
Steve and Clare talk about the impact of political and economic decisions by governments. This conversation was triggered by a communication from a coaching platform to its coaches, but it became much more wide-ranging, as we talked about ripple effects in all areas of our work. We ask the question “Who tells coaches what we can and cannot do?”
Joining a supervision group or working with Steve 1-2-1
If you are interested in joining a supervision group with Steve, or working 1-2-1 with him, contact him here to discuss what would work for you.
Steve and Clare explore what we as coaches might be expected to know, or do, when starting work with a client who has a diagnosed mental health condition. Even without clinical knowledge, is it possible to contract and move forward in a coaching relationship? How can supervision support you?
Steve and Clare are joined by Ginny Baillie who talks with us about associate work whether that is via a coaching platform or through an associate coaching company.
In today’s episode, Steve and Clare ask the question ‘who is the customer’ when the organisation is paying for coaching.
Steve and Clare explore the notion of the coach’s inner imp. Prompted by a question brought to supervision – “What if you, the coach, think the learner/client’s idea is ‘bonkers’, do you stick to a coaching frame or not?” What guilty secret might you take to supervision?
Steve and Clare discuss some common challenges for coaches, beginning with feeling inadequate or “not good enough,” often stemming from a lack of external feedback after completing coach training. This leads to exploration of ‘right sizing’ – how do we ensure we don’t play too small or too big as coach?
Clare and Steve are joined in conversation by Angela Jopling. Angela, a coach of 26 years, psychotherapy trained, who operates in the fuzzy space points out the core of both these disciplines is presence, listening and holding the space. So what might it take to operate in this fuzzy space?
David Clutterbuck describes himself as a provocateur in our coaching and supervision space. And that’s how he showed up as he joined us in this podcast episode with Steve and Clare… with provocations about politics in organisations. How does this relate to coaching? Much more than we might ever imagine.
Exploring our work through considering a quote is the topic of the day. Steve and Clare discuss using quotes as a way to stimulate new thinking and to reflect more deeply on our work. The conversation delves deep into what does it mean to ‘make sense’ or ‘understand’ and what is ‘meaning making’?
Something as simple as junk mail might seem inconsequential when it comes to our coaching. But personal intrusions can stir emotions within us; such disruptions can also clash with our beliefs and values, and anything that takes us away from full presence is worth time in supervision.
Steve and Clare are joined by Val Hastings, author of “Coaching from the Inside”, a book exploring the guiding principles of internal coaching. A must listen if you work in this field.
Joining a supervision group or working with Steve 1-2-1
If you are interested in joining a supervision group with Steve, or working 1-2-1 with him, contact him here to discuss what would work for you.
Prompted by Steve asking ‘Are we losing the truth?’ Our podcasters notice how our relationship to the truth is being pulled in multiple directions – be it by government, social media, mainstream media, opinion. Clare and Steve take this hypothesis into the coaching and supervision space and ask what happens if we as the coach or supervisor chase the truth?
Today Clare and Steve explore the topic of ethics – is there a simple universal right or wrong? We explore how ethics and moral codes are inter-connected, and how what might be the right or wrong way forward in an ethical dilemma might be more a function of your personal moral code, your client’s, the relationship and the contextual situation than it is anything else.
Steve and Clare have a wide-ranging conversation with Yannick Jacob about the question “Who are you?” Why is this important? Because who you are is how you coach.
Steve and Clare talk about the confusion that can happen – for both coach and thinker – when the coach changes hats. That might be moving from: consultant or mentor to coach and back; leadership trainer to coach and back or from employee to coach and back.
Clare and Steve are joined by Charly Cox from Climate Change Coaches and together we explore how coaches might work with climate change, and why.
Clare and Steve explore how to evaluate our coaching (and also our supervision). How do we balance our needs with whether we are meeting those of our clients? How do we know how we’re doing? What can we pay attention to, and how can our self-awareness and self-development be used to support this process?
Our podcasters explore beginnings. Endings come to supervision more often and we wonder why?
Every time we ask a question of our client we may be opening up the thinking to a wider perspective or we might be narrowing it down. Steve and Clare explore when you might do one or the other and ask how often are we conscious of that?
Coaches often set clients homework, but what are your beliefs about ‘homework’ and what might be your client’s beliefs about it? Such exploration in supervision can shine a light on bigger questions about your work.
How does one know whether you are fit to come into a coaching session as the coach? Steve and Clare discuss this through the lens of physical, mental and emotional fitness, prompted by something that came to one of Steve’s group supervision sessions
Steve and Clare are joined by Salma Shah to explore diversity, inclusion and belonging as those things arise in coaching; they also explore how you might use supervision to unpack them.
Steve and Clare explore closing things down, whether that be client contracts, complete customers or your entire business
Steve and Clare explore reflection and the enhanced ways we can do this with Michelle Lucas. Inspired by Michelle’s book
Arising from Eric Berne’s transactional analysis work, Steve and Clare take a look at the games people play in the coaching space
Is the world we experience causing us to becoming more Brittle, more Anxious? Is more and more becoming Non-linear or Incomprehensible? Steve and Clare explore this model by Jamais Cascio and ask how is this affecting our clients, and us as coaches? Are we becoming less courageous?
Steve and Clare are joined by Georgina Woudstra to explore the rise in team coaching and ask, ‘What makes it team coaching?’ and ‘How is it different?’ We explore the supervision needs of the team coach.
Steve and Clare discuss the phenomenon of falling out of love with coaching. Have you fallen out of love with your work as a coach? Have you lost your mojo? Do you find the work doesn’t satisfy you or inspire you like it once did? Perhaps take this to supervision?
Steve and Clare explore the value of supervision when we feel the need to ‘sack’ our client, either before we begin or during the coaching assignment
Steve and Clare discuss playing it safe in our coaching, or holding back. What is possible if we set ourselves free, mix it up a little and play with unfamiliar colours by trying new environments, new methods or just showing up differently as the coach?
Inspired by the drilling in Steve’s house, our podcasters explore disruption and interruption. How is it for you when you get disrupted or interrupted? What counts as a disruption or interruption for you? Are you distracted, maybe seeing or hearing something? Are you tuned in to being disrupted by your own feelings, or able to see disruption in your client’s inner world? Do you use disruption as a coaching approach?
Steve and Clare are joined by Tatiana Bachkirova, academic, educator, author, coach and supervisor. They discuss Tatiana’s latest book; Coaching and Mentoring Supervision – Theory and Practice – exploring as they chat, the variation that can be found in supervision, models, working pluralistically, current research in the field of coaching and coach supervision, including the multiplicity of self.
Steve and Clare seek to complete the statement “Supervision is like…?”. Some interesting metaphors emerge and our podcasters’ musings will offer some interested insights to our listeners
Steve and Clare explore transitions. As a coach, we tell our clients that beginning and endings are important. So, do we sip the same soup for ourselves as coaches, when we come to supervision?
Steve and Clare explore how it might be different if we come to supervision as a supervisee rather than as a coach? Step into those two in turn and see what emerges for you?
Steve and Clare are joined by Charlotte Wilding, sharing her journey from teaching modern languages, into coaching and supporting staff and pupils in the education sector in a whole different way. We explore not only the immediate value to those young people considering their careers; but also recognise that by experiencing coaching as a learning support now, these are the likely clients and coaches of the future.
Steve and Clare encourage themselves, and you, to spread your wings and find different viewpoints or lenses through which to see the world and coaching, all in service of being a more rounded coach.
Steve and Clare talk with John Anderson about his non-traditional route into executive coaching; from being an RAF personal trainer, to representing GB in canoeing, and then on to coaching athletes through five cycles of Olympic Games.
Ever struggled to write your coaching biography? Steve and Clare share their experiences and discuss why bringing this to supervision might be just the right thing.
Steve and Clare, inspired by the Animas blog post of Nick Bolton, explore the place where empathy meets collusion. We seek to be empathetic as coaches, but when might that cross the line and become collusion with our clients?
Joining a supervision group or working with Steve 1-2-1
If you are interested in joining a supervision group with Steve, or working 1-2-1 with him, contact him here to discuss what would work for you.
Steve and Clare play in the somatic sandbox with experienced somatic coach Caroline Quaiffe. Derived from Soma (Grk), somatic refers to the body in all its intelligences – including emotional intellect, moral intellect as well physical/body intellect.
Steve and Clare hear Madeleine Lankstone’s experiences of grief and loss in coaching and share their perspectives
Steve and Clare chat with coach Nicky Chambers about her journey into coaching and how that has shaped her as a coach.
Steve and Clare start with a question, “What’s distracting you?” and meander towards trust and stillness in an episode where the pace simply slows as we go.
Steve and Clare chat with Sorrel Roberts who passed through lifestyle management and a career at Comic Relief before setting up her coaching business
If you work as a coach with large corporates, you’ll relate to Steve and Clare’s discussion on the pains of corporate admin and how to cope.
Clare and Steve and Clare continue their mini series of podcast episodes with guests; coaches who come from a ‘non-traditional’ background. This time with Alun Bedding, who works in pharmaceuticals.
Steve and Clare explore the place for strategy in coaching. Does it leave room for the client to decide?
Steve and Clare are joined by Anne Archer to explore mental health in the coaching space. As great listeners, why are we often reluctant to open up a conversation about mental health?
Steve and Clare explore losing work. Can we frame it differently – rather than I’ve lost work, I’ve gained space? They discover it’s not just about work; what about losses more broadly? How we respond to the idea of loss – our relationship to loss – may say something about us as a coach?
Steve and Clare explore making mistakes and our judgement of what it means to make a ‘mistake’
Steve and Clare are joined by Charlotte Blair to explore her journey from tech sales to coaching. Now a Clifton Strengths coach, Charlotte joins our podcasters as they meander into strengths and how they shape us as coaches.
Steve and Clare discuss the 7-eyed model – a ubiquitous supervision tool that you may recognise from something your supervisor has explored with you?
Steve and Clare explore some of the considerations when setting your pricing as a coach
Steve and Clare discuss how as coaches we might experience strong feelings towards our client – be it being drawn to them, or put off by them. How can supervision support us at this time?
Steve and Clare explore the rhythm and balance of work; how it shifts and how supervision might help us to explore it.
Steve and Clare are joined by Sam Isaacson, author, to explore how emerging technology might influence our coaching; what’s coming and what’s here now that might assist us?
Steve and Clare explore the unique relationship we hold between past, present and future, and how it may influence our coaching work.
Steve and Clare explore the finite and infinite game as applied to coaching and supervision, with their guest Clare Smale
Steve and Clare chat with Tony Worgan and unpack the learnings from his journey to coaching and supervision from a journalistic background
Steve and Clare discuss how chosen hobbies shine a light on who we are and how we coach.
Continuing their exploration of non traditional journeys to coaching Steve and Clare speak with Johanna, whose Navy background offers interesting insights.
Steve and Clare explore what it’s like to be part of a group in group supervision. How do you show up in service of the group, others and yourself?
Steve and Clare talk with Dave Stitt, as they start a mini-series of podcast episodes talking with coaches who have followed ‘non-traditional’ routes to coaching and experiencing supervision.
Clare and Steve stumble over the topic of being disorganised or unorganised as a coach, whilst chatting in the ‘green room’ … and so explore it.
As coaches, we so rarely bring things to celebrate to supervision. Clare and Steve want to put that right, and they have a good giggle about it along the way.
Steve and Clare share their journey to becoming supervisors and talk about the differences and similarities between being a coach and being a supervisor.
Steve and Clare explore dependency in coaching. Is it just about longevity of relationship or is there a deeper game at play?
Steve and Clare are joined by guests Helen and Katie as they explore working with neurodiversity as a coach and as a supervisor. Are we equipped to seek the gold that neurodiversity offers?
Steve and Clare explore the concept of front stage / backstage – what parts do we ‘play’ on stage and what do we keep to ourselves in our private dressing room? How is the stage set when we ‘perform’ and are we leading or playing a supporting role?
Joining a supervision group or working with Steve 1-2-1
If you are interested in joining a supervision group with Steve, or working 1-2-1 with him, contact him here to discuss what would work for you.
Clare and Steve explore the question “Do you ever feel stale, stuck, restricted or formulaic in your coaching approach? Curious about our relationship to safety and risk, gain and loss, fear and confidence and to being professional, our podcasters share stories and raise the not knowing levels.
Steve and Clare talk to Alex Van Oostveen about his journey into spiritual supervision. We discussed echoes in the system, vibrations that transcend the cognitive and draw on intuition, energy, somatics and emotions.
Steve and Clare discuss how corporate culture turns up for coaches as well as clients and explore how we might respond
Clare and Steve explore what is meant by the relationship in coaching and offer a perspective on how we might view this differently.
Steve and Clare, inspired by the book “101 Coaching Supervision techniques and approaches” our podcasters explore different styles of supervision and share their own
Steve and Clare are joined by Rowan to explore the part movement can play in coaching
Clare and Steve explore diversity within coaching and supervision and ask just how diverse are we when it comes to engaging with a supervisor?
Steve and Clare explore the value of supervision – is it worth the investment?
Steve and Clare explore the power of metaphor with Jaya Bhateja
Steve and Clare discuss developing our reflexivity and building our capability to self supervise
Behaviour change – is it the be all and end all of coaching? Might we be tackling the wrong area? Steve and Clare explore the structure of behaviour and suggest why changing behaviour might not be what coaching is all about.
Clare and Steve talk to Simon Cavicchia about his work on shame. Rich with examples, we start with the idea that “shame is the entrance to the self” (Gershen Kaufman), an ever-present potential that does not dare speak its name. A must listen episode.
Steve and Clare consider where the coaching profession might be heading and some of the challenges ahead.
Steve and Clare discuss – continued professional development (CPD) for coaches. How do you plan for, and budget for, your ongoing professional development? What choices do you make, and what for you constitutes CPD?
Clare and Steve explore discomfort in the coaching and supervision arena. Where might discomfort arise and how do we respond? Do we feel discomfort even at the notion of responding to our own discomfort? Learning to notice our discomfort and developing a willingness to explore it, declare it, re-contract around it can all be very useful…
Clare and Steve discuss the opportunities organisations have to harvest data from the coaches they use, whilst respecting individual confidentiality
Is it ever OK to hug your client? What about shaking hands? This week’s episode of the podcast sees Clare and Steve explore physical contact in the coaching space. What is ethical, what is not? What might just be responding to your sense of your humanity and compassion? What might be ‘normal’ for you and what might be embarrassing? What about your clients or your supervisor?
Do you unconsciously have power over your client? Do you give your power away to your supervisor or to others in the supervision group? How does power show up in coaching relationships and what are the implications of that? What might you consciously do to mitigate this?
Steve and Clare explore hiding in supervision as well as hiding in our coaching practice.
Clare and Steve chat with Steve Chapman in a rich, content-packed journey of exploration into the world of not knowing. Tethering fear and permission, our podcasters explore the fallacy of misplaced concreteness, stepping into a world where answers offer only more questions, leaping then looking, presentations to dandelions, the erratic behaviour that comes with stuckness and much more. This episode is so packed with curiosities, you might need to listen several times, as exclamation marks come back to life as question marks.
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Joining a supervision group or working with Steve 1-2-1
If you are interested in joining a supervision group with Steve, or working 1-2-1 with him, contact him here to discuss what would work for you.
Podcast feedback
Also, we would love to hear from you if you have a topic you would like to hear Steve and Clare explore in a future podcast episode.
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