Perspectiva de la actitud.

Feedback from the group was that I created a safe, disciplined space where they could participate wholeheartedly and they did not feel judged. People felt cared for, supported and heard. At the same time, we had fun. They appreciated the depth of my questions and insights. Some would have liked feedback on their reflections and one person acknowledged that the room could have been more cosy (especially the chairs, which I admit were not comfortable for sitting for long periods).

“I didn’t feel at any time you were holding a candle saying “Oh supervision is great” that you were very open to the views of the group, and over time, we veered into well, actually do we need supervision at all...so I felt you were very neutral and open to the group and therefore you encouraged curiosity, flexibility, and it’s funny when I sometimes think about research, I think about it being a bit dull, but I haven’t found this experience dull at all. It’s been very enjoyable, thank you.” (CG01)

“I think you’ve been extremely professional in handling this. Superb facilitation - a relatively light touch but all the more

powerful for that. The contracting at the start has been done with great care and consideration but with great rigour....there’s been a lot of warmth and empathy and ...a sort of neutrality. It’s never felt that there’s a bias here. It’s just been a group of like-minded people sharing in something that’s felt very important.” (CG02) “I did feel very part of the group and that’s different for me. And the quality of your focus - so even if we wander around you just bring us back to the essence which is a superb role modelling and a source of inspiration...one thing more which could have been there was more challenge from you around my journal notes (which would have been) more for my own value than maybe for the Project.” (CG05)

“Very professional, very gentle. A bit like a warm bath, quite relaxing and supporting and allowing that space for reflection. But also some insightful questions to take home which prompted on- going reflection....for me personally, a more casual environment with easy chairs, something more cosy I think could have allowed even more enquiry.” (CG06)

5.4.3.4 The Closing Dialogue

Partly in response to the data we had just gathered and partly emerging from my own thoughts before the day I now shared some of my reflections with the group. Again, these are brief here and developed more fully in the Conclusions in Chapter 8.

i) I acknowledged my appreciation to them all for their willingness and courage to participate so openly and trustingly. While I had known some of the participants previously, others I did not, and I was very

respectful of their trust in me and each other as they shared their coaching practice and experience of being in supervision.

ii) I was struck by their recurring reference to the value of the discipline of the tasks involved, following the cyclical process, and was

heartened that my attention to detail and planning had allowed this to develop which they found easy to follow. I intend to take this into my practice.

iii) From their feedback, my intention of staying out of their way and not including my own data as a supervisee directly was effective in

enabling them to share their experiences openly and honestly, without feeling fearful or judged - so again a parallel process with my intention in supervision. This contributed to their learning in the group

sessions. I will never know what may have happened if I had included as direct data my own experience as a supervisee.

iv) I appreciated their feedback around how I had facilitated the group, creating the safety and clarity, holding the process lightly which enabled them to concentrate on the task and the content.

v) At this stage I shared my excitement in my own sense of truly knowing what Action Research means. As an experiential learner, this Project, underpinned by Action Research methodology, had enabled me to “live it”. I have subsequently applied this approach with two client Projects where we’ve started by establishing what we’re trying to do and then working in a cyclical way, with a very conscious choice in the steps we have taken and given ourselves time to plan, take action, notice what’s happening and then reflect before we try to race on to the next step.

vi) Finally in this conversation with the CG I was asked where was I around supervision now. I replied tentatively. Without having

we need to keep us fit for purpose in executive coaching.

“How to find those resources that we need to ensure we stay fit for purpose...Both individually, but collectively, as a profession. How do we do that?...I think the myth that we’ve blown out (for me) is you must have one hour of Supervision for 12 hours of coaching practice and the minimum time gaps between must be...and the maximum number per year must be....and maybe our contribution will be to move onto the next phase because maybe it had to be imposed to give us something to push against, to take us into something that becomes more fit for purpose for the profession...so that’s about where I’m at the moment.” (AH Ending Session 10th May 2012)

5.4.4 My Reflections after the Day

At this point we ended our session and went for a celebratory drink. I returned home tiredly delighted. Their feedback had been so affirming of the value of the Project to each of them both personally and in their

practice. I too felt affirmed and that the Project had worked at a number of levels. We had generated data that would inform my practice and in the process of sharing this with others, potentially our experience might inform the wider coaching community. By personifying my practice as a

supervisor and group facilitator, aligning this with the research

methodology which was congruent with my approach and learning style, together we had co-created a learning experience for the participants, so they had benefited and their practice had changed.

I close this Chapter with the latest feedback from one of the CG

participants who shared the following with me recently, 18 months after our final ALS meeting:

“It's been fantastic to be part of this work, and has really made a difference, the approach of working in a learning set environment

is so powerful. You may be interested to know that, since our group meetings, I have carefully selected a new supervisor - he's a psychotherapist as well as coach, and he is a breath of fresh air compared to some earlier experiences - I can say exactly what I like in our sessions and it's wonderfully liberating! “ (CG02 30

CHAPTER 6 - SUPERVISORS’ GROUP