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INSPIRE AND BE INSPIRED - A SAMPLE OF RESEARCH
ON SUPERVISION AND COACHING IN EUROPE
PREFACE
——o—
Why is research on supervision and coaching of significance to supervisors,
coaches, and their trainers and educators? And why should providers, clients
and other stakeholders take notice ofthis book, which reflects the presentations
and discussions of the first ANSE Research Conference as it was so beautifully
hosted by the Käroli Gäspär University in Budapest?
Many answers may be blowing in the wind, but this one at least is down
to earth: because research is more than in one way important. To begin
with, research is of importance to practitioners because it may strengthen
the theoretical foundation of their trade. To (prospective) clients research
publications such as this one signal the willingness of providers to have their
practices scientifically scrutinized, which enhances their credibility. Research
may moreover serve to (further) legitimize supervision and coaching, support
professionalisation and in this way supply training institutes and educators
with a more secure footing. Lastly, research may serve to advance exchange and
co-operation between practitioners and researchers, not only on a national level
but cross border as well, of which this book may serve as a witness. In short —
researchers on supervision and coaching are inspired by, and in turn inspire,
practitioners, clients, relevant organisations and society at large.
Now this is entirely in line with what supervisors and coaches pursue,
namely to ‘serve the development of individuals, teams and organisations, to
reflect on professional functioning in complex situations and so to improve
professional lives with regard to institutional roles and contexts (supervision),
and/or to inspire people to maximise their personal and professional potential,
to raise the level of their professional skills and to enhance their professional
and personal growth (coaching)!.
Research on supervision and coaching is very much in line with the mission
of ANSE too, which in short entails the positioning and broad acceptance of
1
See: Michaela Judy — Wolfgang Knopf (eds.), EC Vision. Supervision and Coaching in Europe:
Concepts and Competences, Vienna, ANSE, 2015.