A coach recently asked me whether they were ready for supervision.
They had completed their coach training, were building their coaching hours, and had somewhere between 25 and 50 hours of coaching experience. Their question was thoughtful and one that I suspect many newer coaches have asked themselves.
Should I engage in supervision now, or should I spend more time learning first?
The question reflects an assumption that supervision sits further along the developmental journey. It is easy to imagine supervision as something reserved for experienced coaches dealing with complex ethical dilemmas, difficult coaching engagements, or the challenges that emerge after years of practice.
My experience has been that supervision can be valuable much earlier than many coaches realise.
The period immediately after coach training is often one of the richest learning phases in a coach’s development. Coaches are beginning to discover what coaching looks and feels like when there is no facilitator in the room, no assessment criteria to meet, and no model to follow step by step. They are developing their own style, building confidence, and making sense of how they want to show up with counterparts.
This stage often generates plenty of material for reflection.
A newer coach might notice that some coaching conversations feel energising while others leave them feeling uncertain. They may wonder why they find themselves drawn to particular counterparts, why they feel compelled to help in certain situations, or why a question that worked beautifully with one person seems ineffective with another.
These experiences sit at the heart of supervision.
Many coaches think of learning and supervision as separate activities, as though there is a point at which formal learning finishes and supervision begins. In practice, supervision often becomes one of the most valuable ways of continuing to learn. Rather than focusing on a coaching model or framework, supervision creates an opportunity to learn from your own practice.
A coaching conversation that felt awkward can become a source of insight. A moment where you lost your train of thought, felt uncertain, became overly attached to an outcome, or experienced a strong emotional reaction can all become valuable topics for exploration.
The same is true for coaching conversations that went exceptionally well. Some of the most valuable supervision discussions begin with a coach bringing a session that felt powerful and asking what contributed to that experience.
When newer coaches ask whether they are ready for supervision, I often find myself wondering about the question underneath the question.
Perhaps what they are really asking is whether they have enough experience to have something worth reflecting on.
A coach with 30 hours of experience may have fewer stories than a coach with 3,000 hours, but they still have experiences, reactions, assumptions, successes, frustrations and questions. Those are more than enough to begin a meaningful supervision conversation.
If you are coaching regularly and finding yourself curious about your practice, there is every chance you are ready for supervision. The goal is not to arrive with all the answers. The goal is to create space to think more deeply about the coach you are becoming.
About the Author
Brendon Le Lievre is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), coach supervisor, facilitator and leadership development practitioner. He provides individual and group coach supervision for professional coaches across Australia, creating reflective spaces that support growth, insight, ethical practice and ongoing professional development.