In all the major models of human maturity, two qualities recur constantly: wisdom and connectedness. Wisdom, as exemplified by the original mentor, Athene, relates to the process of reflection upon and learning from experience. The scope of wisdom is therefore associated with and to some extent limited by the range of experiences, to which a...
The word restorative implies “putting back” or “regaining”. An effective supervisor helps you to restore what you need to be a fully functioning coach (which may not be that different from what you need to be a fully functioning individual, although the supervisor is not expected to be a counsellor or therapist). Coaching other people (more…)
The term Mentor comes from Homer’s Odyssey, where Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, impersonated an old man called Mentor to support both Odysseus and his son Telemachus on their journeys of self-discovery. (Mentor himself was quite useless.) In this and so many epic stories, the hero sets out on a journey – usually unplanned – (more…)
Mentoring is one of the most powerful and impactful development methods an organization can use to support and grow its people from within. It brings significant, long lasting and wide-ranging benefits not only to the mentees and mentors, but also to teams, the wider organization as well as to key third parties such as the (more…)
There are ten pairs of questions below. Which item in each pair best describes how you approach coaching? All the odd numbered statements represent a directive coaching mindset, although some of these items are legitimate coaching behaviours, when used in moderation. All of the even numbers are non-directive. The higher your score of even items,...
The term coach originated in the nineteenth century – the first recorded mention is in a novel by Thackeray in 1849. It is therefore a much more recent concept than mentoring, although it is possible to find links with a variety of ancient philosophies. A coach at this time was a form of tutor, working (more…)
There is a lot of vested interest by people, who promote particular services, to claim the moral high ground for whatever they do. So it is easy to find exactly the opposite distinctions being claimed with equal forcefulness. The reality is a lot more complex. Just as there is more than one model of mentoring, (more…)
Measurements of the impact of coaching consistently show a high return on investment from successful creation of a coaching culture within teams and from executive coaching. The picture with regard to life coaching and basic “sheep dip” training of line managers as coaches is much less clear. Creating a coaching culture in the team has (more…)
Coaching Supervision is a process for helping coaches reflect on their practice so that they grow in competence and ensure client safety. It draws on the world of counselling, where supervisors provide three important roles: Normative – the supervisor accepts (or more accurately shares with the supervisee) responsibility for ensuring that the supervisee’s work is (more…)
Summary Aims of supervision Types of supervision Supervision and externally resourced executive coaches Managing supervision Using a supervisor Aims of supervision In the workplace, the term “supervision” is usually applied to line management, where the supervisor takes overall responsibility for the work of direct reports. In coaching and mentoring, supervision is much more about supporting (more…)
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