Common Threads and Competencies: Coaching, Mentoring, Professional Supervision and Organisational Consultation
Most of our blogs are dedicated to helping practitioners in three specific lines of work: coaching, mentoring and professional supervision. If you have been following Verve Lead, you will see that I often group these practitioners together. You might ask; aren’t these unique professions with important differences, so is it appropriate to group these together? While understanding the differences is … Read More ... Read More
14 Apr 2026
Revising and Innovating our Methods
As mentors or supervisors, we each have our own methodologies and techniques that we like to use when working with our clients. These may differ by mentor’s/supervisor’s skillset and preference, or they may change based on the client’s needs. However, one thing that is always true is that no method is perfect. Any approach we take should be carefully reflected on and altered if need be. Even the most seasoned and wise mentors/supervisors need to revise their methods depending on the situation: revising is part of the process to see the best outcomes...
12 Sept 2024
Ending a Mentoring/Supervising Relationship Well (Part II)
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...
5 Sept 2024
Ending a Mentoring/Supervising Relationship Well (Part I)
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...
29 Aug 2024
How to Track and Assess Relationships with Clients
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...
22 Aug 2024
What can we Gain With Feedback From our Peers and Supervisors?
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...
15 Aug 2024
The Importance of a Mentor’s Mentor and a Supervisor’s Supervisor
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...
9 Aug 2024
The Power of a Client’s Constructive Feedback
Recently, I wrote about our mentors/supervising tools as an axe; it’s a tool that needs to be sharpened often. Likewise, we need to find ways to keep us sharp. Here, your client’s feedback can be a great asset to sharpen your tools. Unlike speaking to a third party, your client knows exactly what is happening in your sessions, and they also know what they need personally. They are the best people to review your work...
18 July 2024
The Importance of Reflecting on Your Progress in Your Sessions
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...
11 July 2024
New Series for Mentors/Supervisors!
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...
4 July 2024
The Importance of the Review Process
Explore the importance of reviewing your mentorship with this article! Take time to reflect on the progress made, and ensure you're fostering a healthy and honest relationship. Learn how to identify when it’s time to make changes, let go, or recommend someone else. Click through for questions to ask your mentee and yourself.
20 July 2023
The Seven Perspectives: Perspective Six
Focus on the Supervisor Welcome to week six in our series on what we can learn from the Seven Perspectives for Professional Supervisors. Last week, we delved into the relationships between the Professional Supervisor and their Supervisee. This time, we are narrowing the lens on the Professional Supervisor themselves; examining their professional process and what is going on inside of ... Read More
27 Sept 2022
The Seven Perspectives: Perspective Five
Focus on Supervisory Relationship The Fifth Perspective in our Seven part series on perspectives for Professional Supervisors focuses on the distinct relationship between the Professional Supervisor and their Supervisee/Mentor. This is the first instance that the series has turned the eye to look at the Professional Supervisor. Up until now, we have explored the dynamics between the Supervisee and their ... Read More
14 Sept 2022
Mentoring Essentials: Evaluating Process
One of the essential practices in effective mentoring is reviewing the sessions. The evaluation process involves analysing mentoring for effectiveness and adjusting for greater positive outcomes. We tend to think about the prep work done for a meeting with a mentee, but equally important (if not more important), is that both mentees and mentors unpack their big take-aways from the ... Read More
21 Apr 2022