Self-care is absolutely essential for us to be personally and professionally sustainable. Supervision is a fast-growing niche and, for practicing coaches, has a very different spirit than psychological or business supervision. There are many ways to support ourselves, individually and collectively. Though you may practice on your own, we hope you take advantage of the Fellows and Affiliates pages to forge new relationships as coaching buddies. Comb through our extensive practice and research articles on supervision, self-compassion, and support. Research Articles Supporting Supervision: I get by with a little help from my supervisor: Creative idea generation, idea implementation, and perceived supervisor support. (Leadership Quarterly, 2014) Drawing on two studies, this research confirms that supervisory support has a direct correlation to high idea generation and idea implementation. Developing Coaching Supervision Practice: A Case Study (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 2009) A good overview of a coaching supervision model. Coaching the self: Identity working and self-employed professional Harnisch Researcher Sinead Ruane explores resources that are and are not available to coaches in an independent practice. Group Supervision for coaches: Is it worthwhile?: A study of the process in a major professional organisation (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 2006) This study explores the value of coaching supervision. The author concludes that there were benefits for internal coaches to share tough cases with other coaches and that organizations would benefit from implementing continued professional development and supervision for these coaches. Books on Supervision: Supervision in action: a relational approach to coaching and consulting supervision: A relational approach to coaching and consulting supervision (Supervision in Context) by Erik De Haan (2012) Coaching and Mentoring Supervision: The complete guide to best practice (Supervision in Context) by Tatiana Backhirova, Peter Jackson and David Clutterbuck (2011) Reflective Practice and Supervision for Coaches (Coaching in Practice) by Julie Hay (2007) Book review of: Supervision in Coaching: Supervision, Ethics and Continuous Professional Development edited by Jonathan Passmore (2011) Self Exploration: Knowing Ourselves: Managing Your Ego Development written by IOC Founding Fellow Nikolata Vlamis Life's thumbprint: the impact of significant life events on coaches and their coaching (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2012) What do coaches need to know? Using the Mastery Window to assess and develop expertise (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2011) Which hat am I wearing now?: an evidence-based tool for coaching self-reflection (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2009) Finding our way home: coaching’s search for identity in a new era (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2008) Personal life coaching for coaches-in-training enhances goal attainment, insight and learning (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2008) Self Compassion: Coaching Ourselves: A randomized controlled trial of compassion cultivation training: Effects on mindfulness affect and emotion regulation (Motivation and Emotion, 2014) The positive effects of mindfulness on self-esteem (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2013) Self-compassion, empathy, and helping intentions (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2013) Mindfulness and Self-Acceptance (Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Spring 2006) More resources on self-compassion and empathy... Inspiration: Finding your music At each of our coaching conferences, we end with a musical or artistic performance. Our musical guests have included Ben Zander, Eric Whitacre, and Richard Kogan. Music is an apt metaphor for what we do as coaches. Whether improv, jazz, or classic performance, music is an emergent process. Each musician must be in touch with the music, his or her instrument, and the other performers. We also have some articles describing these skills in the light of understanding the coaching process. You many enjoy these two keynote presentations from our Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference sponsored by Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital and the Institute of Coaching: Building Community with Thousands of Voices, with composer and conductor Eric Whitacre Beethoven's Deafness: Emotional Crisis to Artistic Triumph with Richard Kogan, MD Some interesting research articles: What coaches can learn from the history of jazz-based improvisation: A conceptual analysis (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 2014) Perceptions of leadership success from nonverbal cues communicated by orchestra conductors (The Leadership Quarterly, 2014) The importance of improvisation in coaching (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2013)