Coaches who are part of an internal coaching programme will benefit from supervision in the same way as other individual coaches, so the benefits outlined above will equally apply. However, they also face a unique set of challenges in their roles so there may be additional levels of complexity to be explored in supervision. For example, they may have more than one client so need to take account of multiple stakeholders’ perspectives and needs; confidentiality and boundary management may present ethical dilemmas; conflicts of interest and bias of organisational knowledge may present challenges.  Consequently, engaging with reflective practice and supervision as an internal coach is potentially more critical in helping the coach to become and remain ‘fit for purpose’ in the organisational setting.

Additional benefits of supervision for internal coaches can include:

• Building a sense of community: particularly if group and peer supervision is part of the supervision offering.
• Working with a supervisor external to the organisation: feeling more comfortable opening up with someone outside the organisation — valuing their independence.
• Developing a better understanding of how unseen dynamics affect their coaching practice: including the influence of culture, power dynamics, and internal and external dynamics.
• Creating a ripple effect across the organisation by sharing their insights and learning from supervision with other internal coaches, HR professionals and leaders.