Steve Johnstone: My offer to a supervisee

I offer myself as a calm, approachable and engaging supervisor, with exceptional listening skills. I have a flexible, responsive and eclectic approach towards my supervision, supported by basic principles and assumptions.

These consider the supervisee to be a healthy functioning individual, who through positive engagement and heightened awareness continue to purposefully support their coachees, while also developing themselves as a coaching practitioner.

‘During supervision, Steven provided invaluable guidance on maintaining professional boundaries and addressing these issues constructively. He helped me develop strategies to reinforce the coaching framework and ensure that sessions remained focused and productive.

This experience underscored the importance of supervision in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and reinforced my ability to manage such situations effectively’

As a supervisor, I extend my unwavering commitment to the relationship, valuing the connection between supervisor and supervisee.?

‘Overall, I would stress how comfortable, energising and enriching the sessions were due to the positive relationship between myself as Coach and Steve as Supervisor.

‘I think we built a rapport very quickly and then that was maintained through the 4 sessions. I felt that Steve was attentive and reflected on things through different sessions which helped build the relationship. Steve is also fairly light-hearted and empowering in his style which I found really suited me’

I adopt an integrated approach towards my supervision drawing on a range of coaching and supervision principles and techniques in service of the supervisee, their coachees and their own wider systems. ?Supervisees will notice the Gestalt and psychodynamic influences which I bring to this work.? In addition, I have a keen interest in Transactional Analysis and Immunity to Change (Kegan & Lahey).

Previous clients of mine have commented on my use of well-considered intuition and timely interventions.? While I pose suitable challenge within supervisory conversations, clients remain assured of a safe, non-judgemental and purposeful environment.

I am comfortable working with a wide range of individuals, at different stages of their coaching practice. Greater impact is likely with those individuals displaying an open-minded, engaging, developmental and reflective nature.

‘The supervision has helped me hugely.? My desire to be a great coach has been holding me back, when I achieve x or if only y happens then I will be a great coach.? Supervision brought this into my consciousness.?

?Acknowledging this both to myself and actually saying it out loud was really powerful.? This has allowed me to start letting go of this thought and focusing in on my reflective practice on what was great about my coaching as well as what I would do differently’

‘The supervision has helped to compartmentalise my role as a coach and my role as an internal coach lead.? Through this I have been able to involve one of my team much more as coach lead and through my professional practice I now take time to focus on purely being a coach with the sole purpose for the session to focus only on the individual in front of me’

In what can be a challenging time for many, the opportunity to speak with a supervisor who is wholly non-judgmental and neutral often enables supervisees to benefit through the raising of new awareness and insight. As a supervisor, it is hugely important that I display humility in remembering the challenges I faced and continue to face as a coach.?

‘The space you held for the sessions always felt non-judgemental and respectful. You were generous with your insights, knowledge and challenge and I felt held accountable for myself as a coach and the decisions I make’

?‘You have a particular skill in framing challenge as questions, so I never felt under threat / intrusion, but I was certainly made to scrutinise my actions and be accountable for them’

?‘I continue to learn from each session – by reflecting on your ways of being, and your use of those ‘challenging’ insightful questions’

I am a Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and who is committed to relevant competency and ethical frameworks.? I hold a Masters (with Distinction) in Coaching and Mentoring and I am also a qualified Coach Supervisor (EMCC Global ESQA). My post-graduate research focused on the coachee's perspective of a coaching relationship and their opportunities to provide feedback into the relationship with their coach.

As a practicing supervisor, I also bring with me my experiences in life and my view of the world.? This includes over 25 years of experience as an educator, academic, senior leader and all the meaningful identities I have had the pleasure of enacting.

Regards

Steve