Managing the Supervisory Relationship

1. Managing the Supervisory Relationship Nathan Babiker, ClinPsyD Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust

2. Outline What is Supervision Understanding the relationship What helps, what doesn�t Rating Supervision � The SRQ (Palomo, 2004) Supervision Contracts Managing Personality Styles Final Reflections on Problem Solving

3. Aims To engage in thought / discussion in order that future experience of supervision can be more helpful To begin thinking about how to inject core �psychologist skills� into the management of supervision To inspire some thought about how personality, relationship and other factors can be usefully understood and allowed for

4. What is Supervision? A working alliance between a supervisor and supervisee, in which the latter can receive feedback, guidance and appraisal on their work (Inskipp & Proctor, 1993) Object is to maximise the competence of the supervisee (McGill & Salmon, 1995) Achieved by sharing knowledge, enhancing the supervisee�s self-understanding and amplifying their creativity (Feltham & Dryden, 1994) For further information see Davies, Salmon & MacDonald (2000). Supervision: what works for whom? Clinical Psychology Forum, 146: 17 - 20

5. Quick Exercise Imagine you and your supervisor(s) are stranded on a desert island together

6. Who is doing what? What does this tell you about the nature of your relationship? Does anything need to be different?

7. What is Good Supervision? Important areas to think about: Reassurance Advice Criticism Feedback Expectations Trust

8. Hirons & Velleman (1993) Helpful Unhelpful Direct guidance Dictating what to do Joint problem-solving Lack of direction Reassurance Talking down Theory-practice linking Soliciting ideas Factors which might contribute to effective supervision. Clinical Psychology Forum, 57, 11-13

9. Cushway & Knibbs (2004) Helpful Unhelpful Rapport & Safety Unbalanced Challenge Developmentally inappropriate Direction Intolerant of diffs. Reflection Untrained Direct Learning Professionally apathetic Trainees� and supervisor�s perceptions of supervision. In I. Fleming & L. Steen, Supervision and Clinical Psychology

10. Now think of your own..... Helpful vs Unhelpful 2 groups? Helpful and Un?2 groups? Helpful and Un?

11. Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) Devised by Palomo (2004) Rating scale used to assess the supervisory relationship on a number of factors Safe Base Structure Commitment Reflective Education (more relevant for Clin ?) Role Model (more relevant for Clin ?) Formative Feedback Fill out SRQ � discuss in pairs.Fill out SRQ � discuss in pairs.

12. Supervisory Contracts Scaife (2001) Clarify expectations of both parties Set context of openness / negotiation Set context of shared responsibility Help supervisee reflect on the best conditions for learning Clarify evaluative role Identifying the context in which supervision occurs

13. Think of, and then write down a few ideas that follow from these sentences: �What I want out of supervision is...� �What I would dislike most in supervision is...�

14. How could these factors / ideas form the basis of a good supervisory contract? What are the key issues that should be contracted in supervision?

15. Managing Personality Styles Why is this important? Personality is a key factor in any relationship Right tool for the right job Predictive / premeditative function Insight Key Text: Sperry, L. (2003) Handbook of diagnosis and treatment of DSM-IV-TR personality disorders (2nd Ed.). Routledge.

16. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Style Characteristics of O-C personality style: Desire to complete tasks / projects without error Takes pride in small details Tend towards things being done �just right� Intense, single-minded effort Careful decision-making, ?indecisive Strong moral principles No-nonsense approach, less emotionally involved

17. Narcissistic Personality Style Characteristics include: Good at selling ideas, projects etc Love competition, especially winning! Able to see themselves as best in their field Self belief Good at achieving own goals Can be shrewd in dealing with others for own aim

18. Avoidant Personality Style Characteristics include: Prefers the known to the unknown Few close relationships Self-conscious Discrete and deliberate dealing with others Reserved and self-restrained Sensitive about what others think

19. Example Scenarios Think about the particular personality style � what is it? How is it affecting the problem? Discuss what the best way of approaching the problem with the particular supervisor might be � remember there is no �right� way!

20. Example: Dr. M Dr. M has worked through the ranks of her University department and is widely considered to be the hardest-working staff member. She frequently goes above and beyond the call of duty. Because of this, she has managed to produce dozens of academic papers despite limited departmental resources. Most evenings she takes a briefcase home with her, and will frequently expect supervisees to do the same, telling them they �will not get anywhere in the academic world if they don�t make a little sacrifice�. Her attention to detail is noteworthy but also notorious, she can seem picky and pedantic.

21. Dr. M - Scenario Dr. M has called you into her office to discuss your first draft. You think that you have done a good job but you still need some helpful pointers to move forward. Dr. M spends most of the meeting talking about the introduction section in detail, critiquing the use of particular references and the theoretical model you have chosen to focus on.

22. Example: Dr. S Dr. S is a field supervisor working in a world-renowned heart surgery department. He is witty, extroverted and effective at his job. He has a reputation for convincing supervisees to embark on research projects that contribute to his own research. Sometimes this can lead to the supervisee taking unnecessary risks with their degree and falling short of the university requirements. If Dr. S feels his supervisee doesn�t like him, he handles this professionally but is noticeably lukewarm towards them in return, and offers less time to supervise them.

23. Dr. S - Scenario Dr. S has been your field supervisor for 6 months and you get on well with him. However, you have agreed to undertake an ambitious project using heart surgery patients and you are finding it difficult to collect the data necessary to satisfy your university supervisor. Dr. S offers reassurance that �everything will be fine�, but you are less convinced and beginning to worry.

24. Example: Prof. R Prof. R definitely keeps himself to himself. He rarely attends departmental functions and normally finds a way to excuse himself early if he does. As a supervisor, he is uncertain about ideas outside of his expertise, and appears unenthusiastic or wary about them. He is mysterious and difficult to contact, and very little is known about him outside of his academic existence. When supervision is booked, he comes across as shy and emotionally distant.

25. Prof. R - Scenario You have been having difficulty with Prof. R in the very early stages of your research, which is becoming uninspiring to you. By coincidence, your placement supervisor has an appealing project idea that has some links to your own. When you suggest it to Prof. R, he is resistant, and then avoids further discussion, leaving you feeling stuck. It is difficult to contact Prof. R at the best of times, and it could be too late to change project by your next supervision meeting.

26. Reflections How much did you link what you knew about the supervisor with the scenario posed? Would it have been easier without the information on the supervisor�s personality? How might this help in the �real� world? What other reflections on this do you have?

27. Tying it all together... Think of a bad experience in supervision Discuss in pairs What were the important factors in the relationship? What were the important factors for the individuals (supervisee / supervisor)? How could it have been different?

28. Managing Problems... Advice Explore the problem collaboratively Be clear about misunderstandings Rethink roles / boundaries Contract if necessary At a last resort � seek help from 3rd party