Top Differences Between Coaching Supervision and Coach Mentoring

Selecting the right coaching supervisor significantly influences your professional growth, coaching effectiveness, and overall satisfaction. Quality supervision supports your continuous improvement, ethical integrity, and long-term success as a coach. This practical guide provides clear, actionable steps to help you confidently find and choose the ideal supervisor.

TL;DR:

Finding and selecting the right coaching supervisor requires clarity about your goals, verifying credentials, assessing relevant experience, ensuring personal compatibility, committing to ethical standards, and identifying trustworthy resources. Cherie Silas, with dual credentials (ICF MCC and EMCC ESIA), and Tandem Coaching Partners exemplify these best practices.

Step 1: Clearly Define Your Supervision Goals and Needs

Clearly identifying your objectives is essential. Ask yourself:

• What specific skills or competencies do I want to enhance?
• Do I need support with ethical dilemmas or specific client challenges?
• What frequency and style of supervision will best suit my growth?

Clearly defined goals lead to meaningful supervision aligned with your professional journey.

Step 2: Verify Supervisor Credentials and Certification

Credentials matter. Always verify potential supervisors’ credentials through reputable organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Look specifically for recognized credentials such as ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) and EMCC’s European Supervision Individual Accreditation (ESIA).

For instance, Cherie Silas holds both ICF MCC and EMCC ESIA credentials, ensuring adherence to global standards and demonstrating rigorous professional expertise.

Step 3: Evaluate Supervisor’s Relevant Experience and Expertise

Experience profoundly affects supervision quality. Choose supervisors with extensive experience in coaching supervision and professional coaching practice. Assess their professional background:

• How many years have they practiced supervision?
• What range of coaches and contexts have they worked with?

Cherie Silas, for example, brings extensive supervision expertise, having guided numerous experienced and emerging coaches globally, ensuring her clients benefit from deep practical insights and proven strategies.

Step 4: Assess Supervisor’s Approach and Compatibility

The effectiveness of supervision heavily relies on rapport, trust, and alignment of coaching styles. Consider:

• Does their communication style align with your preferences?
• Are they supportive yet appropriately challenging?

Tandem Coaching Partners prioritize personalized and supportive approaches, creating safe yet challenging environments that foster deep reflection and meaningful growth.

Step 5: Confirm Commitment to Ethical Standards

Ethical alignment is non-negotiable. High-quality supervision demands strict adherence to professional ethics, ensuring confidentiality, professional integrity, and accountability. Check the supervisor’s ethical commitment by:

• Reviewing their professional memberships and roles in standard-setting bodies (e.g., EMCC, ICF).
• Discussing their approach to ethical dilemmas explicitly.

Cherie Silas actively contributes to EMCC’s standards and exemplifies a commitment to ethical excellence, aligning seamlessly with Tandem Coaching’s high ethical standards.

Step 6: Decide Where and How to Connect with Your Supervisor

Finding supervisors through credible sources is crucial. Reliable resources include:

• ICF Credentialed Coach Finder
• EMCC Global Supervisor Directory

Or you can connect directly connect directly with Cherie Silas and Tandem Coaching Partners, who offer tailored supervision programs explicitly designed to meet diverse coaching needs.

Practical Checklist: Questions to Ask Potential Supervisors

Consider this checklist when interviewing potential supervisors:

• What formal coaching supervision credentials do you hold?
• How long have you been practicing coaching supervision?
• Can you describe your supervision approach?
• How do you address ethical dilemmas or conflicts?
• Can you provide references from other coaches you’ve supervised?

Conclusion

Choosing the right coaching supervisor significantly impacts your development, effectiveness, and coaching reputation. Prioritize clear goals, verified credentials, relevant experience, and ethical integrity. Tandem Coaching Partners and Cherie Silas, holding dual accreditation (ICF MCC and EMCC ESIA), represent optimal choices, offering practical, personalized, ethically robust supervision tailored explicitly to your professional aspirations.

Ready to experience meaningful, world-class coaching supervision? Schedule an initial consultation with Cherie Silas today.