When I first signed up for coaching supervision back in 2005, I thought the sessions were only for reflecting on client case studies, exploring ethics, tricky boundaries, or to develop coaching skills.
Business development felt like a separate world – something to discuss with a mentor or a marketing consultant, not with my supervisor. I thought that admitting to my supervisor that I was struggling to find clients would expose me as rubbish coach who couldn’t walk the talk.
I remember when I finally raised the topic, sharing how drained I felt by constant marketing. It was a rollercoaster ride of attending networking events, running lunchtime workshops and delivering free taster sessions. I was exhausted from worrying about how I would pay the mortgage.
Tentatively, I said to my supervisor, “Can we talk about the business side of coaching today?”
My supervisor didn’t judge me or try to sell me a programme. Instead, we explored my beliefs about self-promotion, how my values fit into the way I was attracting clients, and what boundaries I needed. It felt like a weight had lifted. I left not only with fresh ideas but also with a renewed sense of integrity about how I was growing my practice.
I don’t step out of my ‘business owner’ shoes when I step into a coaching session; the way I market myself, manage my admin or price my services directly affects how present I am with clients. Ignoring that reality in supervision wasn’t serving me — or my clients.
Discussing business development in a supervision session isn’t about expecting your supervisor to be a business coach. It’s about acknowledging the ecosystem your coaching sits in — and how stress, financial worries or growth plans might be influencing your client work.
Coaching supervision is designed to support me as a practitioner, not just me with my coaching hat on. And that includes the context in which I’m working – the ups and downs of running a business, balancing client acquisition, and staying financially viable. Pretending those issues don’t exist doesn’t make me a better coach; it just makes me a more stressed one.
So, is it OK to talk about business development in a coaching supervision session? Absolutely. In fact, it can be a responsible, ethical choice. Bringing those topics into the light gives you more self-awareness, protects your clients from unspoken pressures, and helps you align your business decisions with your coaching values.
If you’ve been hesitant, try bringing it up. You might be surprised at how naturally it fits – and how much lighter you feel afterwards.
Helen Isacke, founder of Trusted Coach Directory is also an EMCC Accredited Coach Supervisor. As a reflective partner, Helen works with coaches who are keen to learn and grow on a professional and personal level through exploring their client work and coaching practice. With 20+ years’ experience of professional coaching, Helen brings a wealth of experience having trained in various coaching models including NLP, Clean Language, FIRO Theory, TA101 and a range of profiling tools.