Appreciative Speech in Supervision Practices

Ana CARAS-‐ Research assistant at the Lumen Research Center in Social Humanis6c Sciences, Iasi, PhD candidate, Faculty of Philosophy and Social

Poli6cs Sciences, Univ. Al. Ioan Cuza, Iasi, Romania

1 Lumen Research Center in Social and Humanis6c Sciences

I. Introduc6on II. Apprecia6ve inquiry III. Supervision – review IV. Methodology • The target group of research • Grounded Theory • Addi6onal phase of Grounded Theory -‐ Semio6cs grid based on 4D cycle V. Data analysis • Analysis of the categories constructed aOer the apprecia6ve referen6al • Theore6cal genera6on by rela6ng the categories VI. Conclusions


•  We tried to iden6fy elements of apprecia(ve thinking, analyzing both the supervisee speech and that of the supervisor, approaching in an innova6ve model of apprecia6ve inquiry, known as 4D.

Key ques(ons: •  Is the supervisor-‐supervisee rela6onship seen in a posi6ve view, in terms

of apprecia6veness by specialists? •  How does this approach influence the organiza6onal effec6veness and

professional and personal development of specialists?


•  Apprecia6ve inquiry is presented as a mode of ac6on-‐research that meets the criteria of science as spelled out in genera6ve-‐theore6cal terms, a coopera6ve search for the best in people, their organiza6ons, and the world around them (Cooperrider and Srivatsva,1987) and involves systema6c discover of what gives a system ‘life’ when it is most effec6ve and capable in economic, ecological and human terms.(Cooperrider, Whitney, 2005).


•  In literature there are many defini6ons of supervision, which is understood as an educa6onal process (Robinson, 1949), administra6ve (Barker, 1995) suppor6ng the professionals, the quality of service, making decisions for the organiza6on, promo6ng direc6ons, rules and values by guiding employees (Cojocaru, 2005). From the perspec6ve of Kadushin, supervisors were considered as trainers, consultants, therapists, managers and even directors (Kadushin, 1976).


•  The target group of research-‐ the employees of a NGO in child protec6on in the North East region of Romania. There are 4 interviewees: three specialists in social work supervised in professional ac6vity and the direct supervisor of the organiza6on.


• If Grounded Theory (Strauss and Corbin, 1990; 2007, Goulding, 1999) is characterized by building categories induc6ve and follows the gradual construc6on of progressive induc6ve coding, through secondary analysis we achieved in fact an addi6onal induc6on represented through apprecia6ve discourse analysis.

• Grounded Theory provides a systema6c method involving several stages, which is used to generate the theory or relates to a reality of the phenomenon (Scoj, 1996).


•  The apprecia6ve speech selected is iden6fied as the construc6ve terms of co-‐crea(on, co-‐transforma(on, vision, focus on results, development. Apprecia6ve discourse analysis aims to iden6fy only those co-‐transformer elements that come in direct contact with apprecia6veness, our lecture being an apprecia6ve one. It is necessary to illustrate through en vivo the difference between the analysis specific to the deficiency paradigm and apprecia6ve analysis.

I am always there with them and support them, that’s why I do not need to make many individual official sessions. They ask me, I answer them. I'm not a person to relate to them only through appointments (supervisor, May 2011)


•  Through the apprecia6ve induc6ve analysis established from following a

secondary analysis of data used in Grounded Theory, were constructed categories whose features folds on the apprecia6ve inquiry stages of Discovery, Dream, Design and Des(ny.


D Phase Categories

Discovery •  Effects of supervision perceived in terms of “what works”

•  Co-‐crea6on of professional success Dream •  Foreshadowing success in forming of supervisees

•  Supervision func6ons in posi6ve transforma6on Design •  Supervision rela6onship -‐ co-‐transforming implica6ons

•  Qualita6ve supervision -‐ factor of organiza6onal co-‐transforma6on

Des6ny •  Organiza6onal development – construc6on towards success

•  Progress through transparency of services 10 Lumen Research Center in Social and Humanis6c Sciences

1. Effects of supervision perceived in terms of “what works” Supervisor helped me to improve my work in social services. (Social worker, May 2011) I oDen used version of support, encouragement and orientaFon towards result and less towards deficit or what they failed to do. (Supervisor, May, 2011) Supervision brings benefits through the fact that: Provides planning, a real contact with situaFon, which can give you a predicFon on the evoluFon, based on which you make a work strategy. (Supervisor, May, 2011) It gives you a certain comfort when making a decision regarding a case consulFng someone who knows he is responsible for the advice he gives (Social worker, May 2011)


2. Co-‐crea(on of professional success If I need guidance, I ask for it and it is provided to me. (Social worker, May 2011) At first I was offered supervision and I was actually formed by it (Social worker, May, 2011) The greatest progress I made ��is that I am not so much emoFonally involved in cases I work with, something I learned from the supervisor. (Social worker, May 2011) It provides me a balance, always guiding me (social worker , May 2011) I evolved, I improved the quality of services and work with beneficiaries I manage to perform duFes correctly (social worker , May 2011)


1.Foreshadowing success in forming of supervisees I am always there with them and support them, this is why I do not need to make many individual official sessions, they ask me, I answer them. I'm not a person to relate to them only through appointments (Supervisor, May, 2011) On long term the supervisor models you somehow, makes you a professional over Fme, because at first you tend to be very subjecFve. (Social worker, May 2011)


2. Supervision func(ons in posi(ve transforma(on I oDen used version of support, encouragement and orientaFon towards result and less towards deficit or what they failed to do. (Supervisor, May, 2011) The most important funcFon is the support and assistance to achieve the quality of services (social worker, May 2011) Supervision has also consulFng, support and training funcFons over the social worker. (Social worker May 2011) Supervision funcFons that have been implemented here would be the emoFonal support, technical support, sustentaFon (supervisor, May 2011)


1. Supervision rela(onship -‐ co-‐transforming implica(ons In the individual discussion with the supervisor all aspects are clarifying: a performance improvement plan of the supervisee is made, supervisee is informed about the situaFons in which he has coped successfully and the achievements during the year are presented to him (Social worker, May 2011) Supervisor involvement and the support I receive can be more obvious, "work flows" (Social worker, May 2011) Working with supervisor helped me a lot. (Social worker, May 2011) I know which are the steps of supervision their needs, and so on, and I adapt them according to what everyone has to do (supervisor, May 2011) 15 Lumen Research Center in Social and

Humanis6c Sciences

1. Supervision rela0onship -‐ co-‐transforming implica0ons When your supervisor has a superior experience certainly he can offer you the feedback you need. (Social worker, May 2011) The compaFbility of supervisee with the supervisor is oDen a maUer of morality, and is given by their capacity to adapt in situaFons in which they are set. (Social worker, May 2011) Being few, we communicate very effecFvely and oDen, thus we manage to make our problems or complaints known in relaFon to the one next to you, professionally speaking. (Social worker, May 2011)


2. Qualita(ve Supervision -‐ factor of organiza(onal co-‐transforma(on I have always supported their opening, to announce in advance their problem, and this is not part of the dead line -‐ this is vital, for example, discussing the reason why work is not going, in order to help him solve the situaFon. (Supervisor, May 2011) I emphasized more appreciaFve result than the correcFve one. (Supervisor, May 2011) It helps to keep the quality of services we offer to clients (Social worker, May 2011) Now, through the influence of supervised work, I became a professional (social worker, May 2011)


1. Organiza(onal Development – construc(on towards success I evolved, I improved the quality of my services and the work with beneficiaries, and I manage to perform tasks correctly (Social worker, May 2011) social worker must turn to him first before turning and reporFng towards the client. (Social worker, May 2011) I manage to perform tasks properly, for example (Social worker, May, 2011) I manage to make the difference between the work under the influence of personal emoFons and the professional work. (Social worker, May 2011) The supervisor is the person who offers a unitary character in the organizaFon work, meaning we all go in the same line, he draws a specific direcFon in working with beneficiaries, with the establishment of a certain type of beneficiaries to whom we provide our services in a qualitaFve way. (Social worker, May 2011)


2. Progress through transparency of services The purpose of our acFons is important and shows us that we operate correctly and qualitaFvely. (Social worker, May 2011) Supervision specifically aims as the social worker to provide quality services to beneficiaries. (Social worker, May 2011) The performances of the organizaFon are in relaFon with the quality of supervision, because if you have no quality in supervision, the services you provide are not qualitaFve (Social worker, May, 2011) Supervision has a role in exposing the organizaFon performance; it shows the level of structuring and planning. (Supervisor, in May, 2011) The supervisor taught me that we are an organizaFon with a certain status and a set of rules aimed at our beneficiaries’ welfare and that we must offer qualitaFve services which reflect our professional skills. (Social worker, May 2011)


•  There are Correla6ons between categories within the same stages specific to 4D cycle as well as between categories of different stages. In the apprecia6ve speech iden6fied, we no6ced the common presence of words: improvement, quality, evoluFon, training, support. EvoluFon as a result of an effec6ve supervision prac6ce is the connec6ng word between categories of the Discovery phase and can be analyzed from the perspec6ve of what goes well in the organiza6on but also as co-‐crea6ve component of professional success. The support appears in the speech placed in categories from different stages, Discovery and Dream, and can be interpreted both as a func6on in the desideratum of posi6ve transforma6on but also as an already iden6fied strong point of the organiza6on.


DESTINY

• Organizational Development - construction towards success • Progress through service transparency.

DISCOVERY • Perceived effects of supervision -‐ what works • Co-creation of professional success

DREAM • Foreshadowing of success in forming the supervisees • Supervision functions in positive transformation

DESIGN • Supervision relationship, co-transforming implications • Qualitative supervision - organizational co-tranformation factor


In analysis of this model we iden6fied a set of features: • Cyclical is characteris6c to apprecia6ve discursive model in supervision. Subjects perceive the process as developing, expressed in terms of gradual co-‐transforma(on and co-‐crea(on, fact observed in the presence of specific terms within component categories of the stages, in different temporal forms. Common pajern of stages, the development, can be modified depending on the 6me of its iden6fica6on or awareness. Apprecia6ve language exposes the supervision process as the catalyst of organiza(onal development.

• Another feature of the model is the recurrent of common discursive paKern, namely the co-‐construc(on of excellence and professional success through the supervision.

• A central posi(on was iden6fied in the speech, regarding the supervisor-‐supervise rela6onship which is seen as a partnership with co-‐transforming implica(ons.



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Appreciative Speech in Supervision Practices

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