Anyone who watches sports knows that it is not one player that wins the game, it is the team. Yes, there are MVPs (Most Valuable Players) but the game wouldn’t be the same without a goalie… without defense… without a coach. This is a good principle to bring into mentoring and professional supervision. We are not competent in every area. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses, our own set of skills and our own experiences to draw from. Even the best mentor or supervisor has limitations…

The focus of many of these blogs has been to explore the essential competencies of mentoring and supervision. However, it’s also important to understand where we are not competent…

Any seasoned Christian leader knows that ending professional relationships are a part of life, but that doesn’t make it an any task. There are often feelings or grief, regret, uncertainty or anxiety as one chapter comes to an end and another begins…

It’s a sad truth that mentoring/supervising relationships come to an end.Whatever the reason, closing that time with your mentee/supervisee in a meaningful and ethical way is always important; for the client and for yourself. With some reflection and some intention, it  can be a significant time full of gratitude and new insights…

When a mentor or professional supervisor is assessing their own work, one aspect that must be addressed is the relationship with their clients. While the technical elements of mentoring/supervising are crucial, without a strong and healthy relationship between mentor/supervisor and client, it is almost impossible to facilitate effective transformations…

In the last few weeks, we have explored the value of client feedback and feedback from our own mentors and supervisors. Today, we look at the importance of peer feedback to complete the evaluation trifecta…

In this series, we have considered the importance of evaluation and feedback for mentors and supervisors. Recently, we looked at what sort of feedback we can gather from our clients and how valuable their opinions are. Today, we explore the importance of feedback from our own mentors or supervisors. We all need someone to help us see what we don’t see about ourselves and our practice. We have blindspots, and blindspots can be dangerous. Well-placed feedback and guidelines from those wiser than us can provide a safety net for ourselves and our clients…

It can be difficult to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong when it comes to analysing your own methodologies in mentoring or supervising. What might work with one client might not work with another. Sometimes mentoring/supervising will come easily, but sometimes it will feel like pulling teeth. It can be hard to see your own patterns, especially if you are not taking the time to reflect and review your actions. Here are a few ways to make sure you are making the most of your sessions and connecting effectively with your client…

New Series!It is important to continually analyse and adjust your own mentoring methods, not just assume that you are being effective. You should apply assessments, self-reflection, and the assistance of outside perspectives and wisdom to discover what is working and what needs adjusting, your strengths and weaknesses…