Supervision

SLP Mentors and Supervisors – fight for your rights to avoid burnout

30 August 2024 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Speech pathology mentors and supervisors commit time, attention and resources to develop other speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

Mentors and supervisors have the tricky job of simultaneously supporting SLPs while gatekeeping their competence on behalf of the profession and our clients.

Most mentors/supervisors are busy with case- and workloads, and family, community, and other commitments outside work.

Supervision and mentorship increase SLPs’ significant burnout risk. SLPs mentoring or supervising too many SLPs, SLPs from underrepresented groups, and SLPs who lack time, training, and resources to do the job are at even higher risk.

Mentoring and supervision can be rewarding: you can be a good mentor/supervisor and avoid burnout. But we need to be honest about the costs.

Exhausted, overwhelmed and disengaged SLPs make poor role models, mentors, and supervisors. Watch for early burnout signs: e.g. exhaustion, cynicism and inefficiency.

Mentees and supervisees are not responsible for mentor/supervisor burnout. The true culprits are underinvestment in systems and training, insufficient time and resources, and a lack of management and peer-support.

For the future of our workforce, mentors and supervisors must speak up about their bandwidth, boundaries and self-care needs, and demand sufficient time, training and resources to mentor and supervise SLPs properly.

Key source: Gotian, R., Pfund, C., Cook, C, & Johnson, W.B. (2022). Don’t Let Mentoring Burn You Out, Harvard Business Review, July, 2022.

For more on supervision of speech pathologists, check out our book “How to supervise speech pathologists properly in private practice“.

Good mentorship is about more than the occasional chat over coffee

30 August 2024 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Good mentors serve as role models, advisers, teachers, guides, sponsors, and protectors. They help junior professionals forge identities and realise dreams.

For senior professionals, mentorship fulfils a deep-seated urge to guide younger generations of professionals.

Authentic relationships lie at the heart of good mentoring. But not all mentoring relationships are created equal: some are superficial and transactional.

According to Professor Herminia Ibarra, senior-junior professional relationships can evolve naturally through five stages:

Mentor: The senior provides advice and support privately.
Strategiser: The senior shares ‘inside knowledge’ about how the junior might advance.
Connector: The senior provides introductions to key stakeholders and includes the junior in meetings/events that give the junior access to people who can be instrumental for career development.
Opportunity giver: The senior seeks out high visibility projects/roles for the junior to take on, e.g. a presentation, strategic project, or membership of an external board.
Sponsor: The senior is committed to the junior’s long-term success, with both professionals giving and receiving value, openly sharing ideas and a mutual sense of competence and confidence, as well as a bias for taking concrete actions.

The ideal mentor relationship includes career-advancement help, public advocacy for growth opportunities, and support and validation. Done well, mentorship bolsters confidence and fosters the development of a caring, mutually satisfying bond.

Source: Ibarra, H. (2022). How To Do Sponsorship Right. Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec, 111-119.

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For more on supervision, check out our book “How to supervise speech pathologists properly in private practice“.

How to navigate conflict with other people

27 October 2022 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Interpersonal conflicts are common. They can make us worry and react in regrettable ways that make us feel bad about ourselves. Sometimes, we withdraw from relationships, which is also not good for us.

Conflict with people can lead to lots of bad outcomes: reduced focus and creativity, worse decision making, and unhappy relationships.

None of us is perfect when it comes to relationships. When you are in conflict with someone else, there are several strategies you can use to find a healthy way forward:

Remember your perspective is just one amongst many. Sometimes, we forget that we all have different viewpoints and values and think that our view is correct and all other views are uninformed, irrational or biased. Thus is not always true – not everyone sees things that same way and that’s okay.
Be aware everyone is biased (including you!). We sometimes assume that other people’s behaviour is due to their personality, when it might just be due to their situation. Ask someone you trust to help you reflect on the ways you might be seeing the situation unfairly.
Avoid black and white thinking. Sometimes, when we disagree with others, we start to think that the other person is an opponent or even enemy! Rather than thinking it’s ‘you versus them’, focus on the decision or situation instead and try to make progress on it. Think of yourself and the other person as sitting on opposite sides of a seesaw and work together to find a balance.
Know your goals: Avoid drama and stay focused on your goals, e.g. you want a healthy relationship that will last into the future, and you want to feel less angry/frustrated after interactions. Make a list of your goals and circle the most important ones. You don’t need to be best friends with the other person – focus first on having a functional, respectful relationship.
Don’t gossip or look for drama: It’s perfectly fine to seek help with sorting out your feelings and to check in with others. But choose who you speak with carefully and look for people who are constructive and who will challenge your perspective – people who will help you solve the specific problem.
Experiment: There is no one way to solve interpersonal conflicts. Your strategy will depend on the situation and the people involved. Experiment and see what happens: e.g. decide that for two weeks you will listen to the other person, and not interrupt, and focus on what they are saying (rather than how they say it). Try to summarise what the other person is saying, and check you have understood them. Try to interrupt your conflict patterns of the past.
Stay curious: People are complex! Try to learn more about the other person. Do not approach conversations with aggression or defensiveness, but with creativity and with genuine questions about them. Think about a future when you have overcome the conflict.
Don’t give up: With good faith efforts and hard work, you can resolve most interpersonal conflicts.

Key source: Gallo, A. (2022) How to Navigate Conflict with a Coworker, Harvard Business Review, September/October.

For more on supervision, check out our book “How to supervise speech pathologists properly in private practice“.

This infographic also appears in a recent issue of Banter Booster, our weekly round up of the best speech pathology ideas and practice tips for busy speech pathologists, speech pathology students, and other interested readers.

SLP leaders should tell their employees they appreciate them more often!

16 September 2022 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

In a recent study, almost 30% of employees reported that they had not received any recognition over the last year. Atrocious!

Leaders who tell their employees that they appreciate them are perceived as being better at collaboration and teamwork, accepting feedback, building relationships, and motivating staff.

To improve morale, productivity, performance, client satisfaction, and employee retention, leading Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) – practice owners, managers, and supervisors – should recognise their employees’ contributions properly.

SLP leaders can improve employee recognition in four basic ways:

Content: be specific with praise, and recognise inputs – things like hard work, new ideas, and perseverance – not just outcomes (that are not always within an employee’s control).
Delivery: the line manager/supervisor should deliver recognition regularly, and as soon as practicable after the behaviour or achievement is observed.
Systems: implement simple, automatic cues to reflect on who went above and beyond; then take a few minutes to tell the employee you recognise it. (Don’t wait until you’re not busy.)
Personalisation: some employees love fanfare and acclaim. But about ⅓ of employees loathe public recognition. Notes/cards and sincere thank yous, delivered privately, can work just as well for talented introverts!

Source: Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. (2022). Do You Tell Your Employees You Appreciate Them? HBR Online, September.

For more on supervision, check out our book “How to supervise speech pathologists properly in private practice“.

Difficult professional conversations: tips to help control emotions

23 August 2022 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Many Speech Language Pathologists in private practice are people pleasers, overworked and under-resourced.

Disagreements about priorities, caseloads, workloads and feedback are inevitable. They can feel threatening and stressful.

When threatened, many of us switch to “fight or flight” mode, making it hard to think rationally and professionally.

We can implement strategies to interrupt this physical response to keep our cool during difficult conversations:

Breathe: Focus on the sensation of air coming in and out of your lungs, or your nostrils. Breath in slowly through your nose for a count of 4 and out for a count of 8 through slightly pursed lips, at least three times.
Anchor: Notice the feeling of your feet on the ground.
Move: If possible, get up and walk around. If this is not possible, do small physical acts like crossing two fingers or slowly touching each finger with your thumb.
Use a mantra: Repeat a phrase to yourself to remind yourself to stay calm, e.g. “Go to neutral”.
Label: Name your emotions and examine them, recognising you are not your thoughts. Put space between your (temporary) emotion and your identity.
Take a break: excuse yourself for a moment to get some water, coffee, or to go to the bathroom. (This can also help give your conversation partner a chance to cool off and reset.)

Source: Gallo, A. (2017). How to Control Your Emotions During a Difficult Conversation. Harvard Business Review, Digital Edition.

For more on supervision of speech pathologists, check out our book “How to supervise speech pathologists properly in private practice“.

This article also appears in a recent issue of Banter Booster, our weekly round up of the best speech pathology ideas and practice tips for busy speech pathologists and speech pathology students.