Where It All Began

The most effective type of supervision is that which ensures you reflect on a regular basis and that assists you to produce better outcomes and results in your role. Supervision develops your skills and opens your mind to always learn new things. It refuels you for a few weeks until your next supervision meeting. It allows you to refocus and clarify things and at the same time, it allows you to have someone who is encouraging and values you as a professional.

A quick reference practice guide can be one of the most valuable books for a new supervisor as you commence your supervisory career. I recall when I provided supervision for the first time early in my career. I wanted to ensure that I did a good job. I also wanted to ensure that I met the needs of the professionals I was supervising; however, at times I was unsure of what I was meant to be doing. Whilst I was lucky enough to have been introduced to supervision by an experienced supervisor, it was still a daunting experience starting out in the role for the first time. I had not attended training prior to becoming a supervisor as good training was difficult to find.

When we begin our career as a supervisor, we often first use what I refer to when facilitating training as the ‘wing it’ model. This means that we provide supervision predominantly based on our own experiences of supervision or what others have told us about their experiences in supervision. Over time, as we hone and shape our skills, gain more knowledge through training and understand relevant supervision skills we need to have, we grow to develop our own framework and process in the role. Over the years, I have developed and shaped specific technical skills, knowledge and competences, attended many different training programs and ensured that I have had effective supervision myself. As a result, I have come to truly understand the complexity in which quality professional and line management supervision takes place. I also understand the role that supervision plays in a range of practice and organisational contexts, and I know it takes time to practice the skills that supervisors need to have to do the role well (Gonsalvez et al., 2017; Kracen, 2015).

When I reflect on my career, I see that I was lucky enough to receive quality supervision from my first supervisor. I work with hundreds of supervisors and supervisees across the world and enjoy hearing about their experiences in supervision. Sadly, I hear many stories of supervision not being a positive or useful experience, and often the reasons are that the supervisor has not attended training or has not had quality supervision themselves. My first supervisor was competent and I learned a lot about the skills and knowledge required to provide effective supervision. I have often thought about what was unique about that supervisor and if she was providing supervision like many others do. I have come to the conclusion that my supervisor at the time was somewhat exceptional because of the way she provided supervision, the skills and knowledge she had and her awareness of how to engage me in the reflective process. No matter what we were discussing or focusing on, her supervisory style was positive and she challenged me to be my best as a professional. This provided me with a solid foundation that supported me when I started in a supervisory role. Since that time, I have grown and developed as a supervisor, and I am always reading and learning different aspects of being a supervisor and supervision itself.

Having said that, I have also had some not-so-great experiences of professional supervision. This has equally provided me with the opportunity to compare and understand the differences between good, high-quality and inadequate supervision. All experiences, good and not so good, are useful and inform our own supervisory practice. At the same time, I would be naïve to say that everyone I have supervised has enjoyed my style or approach. However, it is important to be committed to every person you supervise and use the range of skills and competencies required to provide effective supervision (Jacobsen & Tanggaard, 2009).

I would have found it helpful to have a new supervisor practice guide when I was starting as a brand-new supervisor – a quick reference guide to validate I was on the right track. It would have really assisted me to build my confidence initially, so I hope this is useful for you. This guide is designed for you as a new professional and/or line management supervisor. You may work in corporate services or manage your own business. You may be working in mental health, human resources, allied health, physiotherapy, social work or psychology. You may be a supervisor of an operational team or in human services. You may be supervising a professional or clinical team, or your leadership role may be in private practice. You may also be starting to supervise students. Wherever you may be working, this guide is for you. I hope you find this guide useful and cannot put it down until the end!

How to Use This Book

This book consists of seven chapters. It is best read in sequence as it has been written as a guide that you can follow from start to finish. At the end of each chapter, there are reflective questions for you to consider that mirror each step in the supervisory process.

Documenting your reflections along the way will support you to

• Capture what you are thinking at the time when you read the chapter

• Take the time and space to express what you are thinking and feeling at the time of writing

• Reflect more deeply on your thinking and increase the skill of reflection

• Develop a plan to support you in your new role

• Maintain notes and records of your thinking at the time of writing

• Reflect: reflection is brain friendly as it takes us away from task and process and helps us dig beneath the surface of our thinking

The questions at the end of each chapter also have another purpose! They are designed for you to reflect and also to use with the staff you supervise. All the information in this book provides you with practical information and resources that are useful for both you and the professionals you supervise. The tools included in this guide can be used as discussion points in supervision conversations and can support you to set up your supervision framework.

This guide is not designed to be a comprehensive set of resources and tools or a theoretical book. It is a practical book to get you started on the right track.

With this in mind, it is important to

• Continue to engage in further reading on supervision

• Continue to learn and understand additional aspects of supervision

• Over time, ensure that you evaluate the effectiveness of the supervision you provide to keep learning and growing

• Where possible, attend reputable training on supervision prior to commencing in your new role

• Reflect on your supervisory practice with your supervisor on a regularbasis

The chapters in the book include useful information about

• Understanding different contexts of the supervisory environment

• Setting up the first supervisory meeting

• How to conduct subsequent meetings

• Understanding what to record in supervision meetings

• Understanding how to ensure that every supervision meeting is effective

• Understanding the difference between line management and professional supervision

• Evaluating supervision to ensure it remains effective

The quotes below are others’ ideas on what supervision is: