6.3 Establishing the Supervisory Relationship
Every supervisor is unique in that each has their own clinical and supervisory style. A skilled supervisor will teach, guide, and sometimes even mentor you to better prepare you for your future in the field. However, even the best supervisors may not always be as accessible as you would like, so be patient when necessary.
Remember, they have many responsibilities at the site, including overseeing your work. Supervising your growth is an additional duty, not one that replaces another. While it is most desirable to have a supervisor with qualities and teaching methods that mesh well with your style, sometimes those styles may conflict with one another. To solve conflicts in general, practice good communication skills and be willing to find common ground. In this situation, the same relational dynamics that you have experienced with differing supervisory styles in the past may help here. For example, if you find yourself in an internship site with supervision difficulties, try not to get discouraged. Also, seeing things from different perspectives can help. Finally, your colleagues and instructors can help you during class meetings or office hours. You may find that you are not alone when facing such a challenge.
Your peers may even help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your learning style, as well as those of the supervisor. Your instructor and classmates can also help you develop ideas on how to improve or at least better deal with the situation.
Keep in mind your supervisor has their own personality and supervisory style, too. Generally, supervisors are happy to help because they want to see you succeed. After all, they became professionals for the same reason most of us do: to have the opportunity to help others. However, a supervisor may occasionally have a difficult problem or be dealing with a stressful day and seem irritable or even short-tempered because of it. No matter what kind of day it is, do your best job. Remember, although your supervisor’s style may irritate you, it is not your role to change it. It is, however, your job to learn how to deal with different styles, which means that this situation can be a learning opportunity.
Having a difficult supervisor can be challenging, but it is valuable for learning about different styles and how to cope with them. These skills are likely to come in handy in the future. This type of awareness can be an essential skill that can be carried throughout your entire career, so even a poor supervisor may turn out to be a good one in the long run, even if it is only to show what not to do! After all, there is no guarantee that you will always have a good supervisor or boss.
Everyone has communication and relational styles. See figure 6.2 for common examples of how these styles appear in the supervisory relationship. Each one is accompanied by its strengths and weaknesses.
| Supervisory Styles | Description |
|---|---|
| Over-involved | Mani