Podcast: Coaches under pressure

While I was in Sydney in those far-off days of pre-lockdown February, I met with Renee Lockwood and Melanie Weeks, co-founders of space2think and co-presenters of the Coaching Kool-Aid podcast, which looks behind the curtains of the coaching profession. They’ve just posted our conversation, which explores coaching supervision, the common pressures facing coaches, and the need to expand practice beyond theories and qualifications.

Find the podcast here

Here’s an extract of what I said:

The pressure in our current society, which is very fast, very results orientated, and very 24/7, is astounding. So many coaches believe they have to go out there proving, ‘I’m very capable, I have qualifications, I have credentials, I’ve got badges, I can do this!’

Supervision enables them to come somewhere where they can be held – that’s how I describe the container – in a safe, non-judgmental and reflective space. Then they can say what they may not feel able to say elsewhere: ‘What am I doing? How am I doing? I don’t know if I’m doing this OK!’

Supervision is where they can be held and not know, and where they can explore, reflect and consider why they’re doing what they’re doing. And perhaps most importantly, they can explore how they as a human being, without all the badges, are showing up. Then they can be in relationship with their client, creating a simalar container, to help them show up, learn and develop.

Photo: José Martín Ramírez C