It is 2010. The room is filled with novice coaches. There is chatter, brief laughter, the sound of coffee cups being lifted, sipped and replaced on the shiny boardroom table, and chairs scrape as people shuffle themselves into place. The coaching supervisor enters the room and quietly takes a seat. The hubbub continues for a short while. The supervisor stays silent, head and eyes slightly lowered. Slowly, the noise subsides over what seems like an age. A cough. The nervous rattle of a pen. A sniff. Then silence. The clock on the wall ticks loudly. A minute passes. The supervisor is unmoved. Attendees nervously eye each other but say nothing for another minute. It has been seven full minutes since the supervisor entered the room.

‘Erm,’ begins one of the coaches, ‘I’m just wondering when we are going to make a start.’ The supervisor looks up, ‘What makes you think we haven’t started?’

Since 2014, I have had what I consider to be a successful independent career.  It has been a rollercoaster and I wouldn’t change it for any alternative. I’m currently a self-employed practitioner-researcher in executive coaching and coaching supervision. Just now, I’m also writing a book on coaching supervision.

Setting up your business and all that goes with it can be daunting. I first did it 11 years ago and again six years ago when I launched my supervision practice, Grow the Coach.  Here are the 10 things I wish someone had told me as I look back over my journey so far…

I’m studying Transactional Analysis just now at the foundation year level. Last week, our training cohort was introduced to Erskine and Trautmann’s (1996) eight core relational needs that are fundamental to human connection and emotional well-being.