by CoachNet Partner, Jeannette Slater

Most of us have grown up in a world where we are either a supervisor or we are being supervised. Think about it…our parents supervised us, our teachers in school supervised us, our bosses supervised us. Perhaps we in turn have become the parent, teacher or boss, thus stepping into the supervisory role. We have taken the supervisory role into the ministry as well.

As the idea and function of coaching is becoming more popular, supervisors are beginning to review and reconfigure their roles in their organization. Pastors and network leaders are also being challenged to take on more of a coaching role. The question arises “Can supervisors be coaches?”

In order to answer that question, let’s take a look at the role of supervisor and coach a little more closely.

A supervisor is usually the one coming up with the vision, mission and direction. Although they may solicit help from others, because the buck stops with them, supervisors are the ones who clarify goals and objectives. Supervisors are usually the ones who call the meeting, set the agenda, and direct the meeting.

The very nature of coaching is the antithesis to supervising. The coach’s role is specifically to not set the vision, goals or agenda. It is the one being coached who does this. The coach is called to come along side to help someone else discover God’s agenda for their life and ministry and help to see that become a reality.

As coaches, our role is not to tell people where they’re going or what they need to do, or even to answer their questions. Rather it is to ask good questions to help them discover the path for themselves.

Further a coach doesn’t decide the goals ahead of time and come to the coaching session to solicit help with the coach’s goals. A good coach must lay aside their goals and allow the person being coached to develop their own goals.

Another challenge is that the supervisor usually holds the purse strings. In many cases, the supervisor has power over the subordinate in relation to their salary or even in keeping their job. Because of this, as a subordinate, we hesitate to share the things we struggle with either personally or in our ministry role.

I have found this especially true in coaching church planters whose salary depends on success and is often tied very closely to expectations of performance. They feel more free to share their challenges with a coach who has no strings attached to their finances.

So, can you coach those for whom you are also their supervisor? We all wear different ‘hats’ even in a given situation. If we are clear and intentional about which hat we are wearing, it is possible to function in different roles with the same people. At the very least we can begin to focus more on helping people discover their own path rather than secunding them into ours.

However the challenge remains. You will need to evaluate your own role and personal expectations and consider each relationship on its own merit. In some cases you will do well to encourage the coachee to find a different coach while you remain as supervisor.

Take some time to consider your role in ministry by downloading an assessment tool to help you evaluate your role of supervisor or coach. You can download it here.

You may also want to consider whether you need a coach. You may have a competent supervisor but feel the need to find a coach who will empower you more fully in the role and call God has placed on your life. Let us know how we can help you in your search.