Pair supervision in team coaching remains an underexplored area for the moment, despite its potential to enhance both client team outcomes and coach collaboration.
In my recent study for my supervision training, I gathered insights from 12 experienced Team Coaches and Supervisors across the UK, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The findings revealed:
✅ Pair supervision is not yet a regular practice for most Team Coaches. It is typically used when difficulties arise—either with the client team or within the coaching pair. When the Coach pair looks for a supervisor, they usually do not use their individual supervisors, but seek someone neutral, or a in certain cases someone with expertise in a particular approach.
✅ Many coaches found that debriefing with their partner coach or individual supervision was sufficient, and had not considered joint supervision until prompted by this study. Many saw its potential and became curious to try it!
✅ Coaches who have experienced pair supervision highlighted its benefits, including a neutral space to reflect on their partnership, recognizing parallel processes, and gaining deeper insights into team dynamics. They also found it particularly helpful when the client team case/context was particularly complex and challenging.
At this stage, pair supervision is viewed as an additional support when needed rather than a standard practice in all coaching pairs. However, all supervisors interviewed recommended pair supervision when coaching the same client team. They emphasized its value in addressing client challenges, fostering collaboration in a constructive way, and uncovering parallel processes. Given the complexity of team coaching, this approach offers a rich learning experience.
This study sparked meaningful conversations and raised important questions about how team coaches seek support in their work. I plan to continue this research—if you are a Team Coach, I would love to hear about your experience. Your insights will help shape future practices in the field. Please take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire.
Thank you!
To listen to the full presentation of the results so far, fill in this simple form here.
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