In order to define coaching supervision it is important to note what a coach does. A coach is a person who helps guide a client through difficulties using their coaching expertise. This may be in their work and career, life and family or in other areas.

A coaching supervisor is an experienced coach who uses their knowledge and expertise to help other coaches in their work and to help them to provide the best possible service to the people they coach. Coaching supervisors play a key role in maintaining the integrity of the coaching industry as well as the professional development of individual coaches.

This is done through supervision sessions using a collaborative approach, where both coaching supervisor and supervisee can discuss, reflect upon and analyse the coaches work. This might involve exploring the challenges that the coach has faced with clients, discussing different approaches to work and having a conversation about the impact that the coaching has had on both the coach and their clients. 

Coaching supervision sessions are usually on a one-to-one basis. However, group supervision sessions might also be conducted. Through discussion and collaboration, coaching supervisors can implement coaching strategies to support coaches and ensure the wellbeing of all stakeholders. Coaching supervisors might work with private coaches, in-house/internal coaches (where the coach and supervisor work for the same employer) or executive coaches (coaches who support those in higher management positions).

Although there are not currently any prerequisites to becoming a coaching supervisor, having a coaching supervision or coaching & mentoring qualification will help you significantly in your role as a coaching supervisor. There are a number of accredited coaching supervision courses available both online and in-person, and these courses will help you develop the key skills a coaching supervisor needs in this role.

Several coaching supervision training programmes are also accredited by professional bodies such as the Association for Coaching. These coaching experts ensure that you will learn skills to make you an effective coaching supervisor and provide the credentials to demonstrate to clients and employers that you have developed the competencies for the role.

Other qualifications can also be incredibly helpful if you want to pursue this career path, such as qualifications in leadership, management and mentoring. You can study a variety of Management courses online and gain skills such as leadership, decision-making, reflective practice, communication skills and empathy, all of which are essential to the role of a coaching supervisor. 

Leadership courses are another great way to add to your resume when exploring a career in coach supervision. Learners on these courses can build their confidence and skills in leading individuals or a team, helping communicate their vision to others and actively listening and taking on board the views of others. 

There are several skills needed to become a coaching supervisor, and it is important for supervisors to be aware of their own skill set and any areas they may need to develop further. Some of the key coaching supervision skills essential to this career include:

You can develop these skills through both coaching supervision programmes by qualified training providers, and through work experience in practice. Even if you already have several of these skills nailed, by continuing coach education and making yourself aware of user experience when it comes to coaching, you can become a good coaching supervisor.

Coaching supervisors will need to have substantial experience as a qualified coach first before taking on a supervision role. This usually consists of at least 250 hours of coaching work, however the more experience you have, the better for your coaching supervision career. Having experience as a coaching mentor can also be very useful and if you are able to gain supervision practice in your current role, this will help build your resume also. 

However, if you still need to gain coaching experience and are struggling to get into the world of coaching, then you can still build on your current skills to develop your career in coaching. For example, if you have management experience or have worked as a team leader in the past, you can work your way into a professional coaching career by getting a qualification. 

Through online training programmes and courses you can then build on your existing experience and learn about the theoretical side of the coaching profession.

Coaching itself opens up many career opportunities in leadership roles and supportive roles across industries. As a coaching supervisor, you will also be well equipped to explore areas such as management, supervisory roles in other professions, and even start your own coaching practice. 

In a career such as coaching, continuing to develop professionally and continuing to explore new supervision models is key to help you stay up to date on how to support your coaches and help ensure their work is effective and that you can support overall wellbeing.