Becoming an Effective Supervisor

FOCUS QUESTIONS1. Which supervisors have you had that you would describe as being effective?What are the key characteristics of those individuals?2. What is the relative importance of a supervisor's knowledge and skills versus the interpersonal skills of that individual? 3. What struggles do you anticipate when you first start to supervise?What resources will you use to deal with these challenges? 4. What five action steps are you willing to take toward becoming a competent supervisor?Now that you have a clear understanding of what supervision is about and how it works, what approach would you take in fulfilling the many responsibilities of supervision?What actions will move you in this direction?Be patient with yourself.Becoming a competent and confident supervisor takes time, experience, and deliberate practice.This process can be a dynamic, professionally stimulating, and meaningful experience.In this chapter, we showcase the characteristics of effective supervisors and ask some contributors to share their perspectives on both the "ideal" and the effective supervisor.We all strive for the ideal in our journey toward being effective supervisors.We also discuss the struggles of new supervisors.We conclude the chapter with some thoughts on finding your own style as a supervisor and developing a plan for how to proceed beyond this book in becoming an effective supervisor. Qualities of an Effective SupervisorWe asked a clinical director of training who is in charge of practicum and internship placements in agencies what qualities she looks for in selecting effective supervisors.In Voices From the Field, Mary Read writes about the qualities of an effective clinical supervisor.