Preplanning for Feedback in Clinical Supervision: Enhancing Readiness for Feedback Exchange

Abstract

This article makes the case for preplanning for feedback in clinical supervision. Preplanning for feedback can help supervisors maximize the positive benefits of feedback delivery by building and solidifying a supportive supervisory climate that enhances supervisee receptivity to corrective feedback. The Corrective Feedback Instrument-Revised (CFI-R) is introduced as a major tool to facilitate preplanning. Additional resources that derive from the CFI-R are presented to assist supervisors in the preplanning process. Author's NotesCorrespondence concerning this article should be sent to Diana Hulse at dhulse@fairfield.edu. AbstractThis article makes the case for preplanning for feedback in clinical supervision. Preplanning for feedback can help supervisors maximize the positive benefits of feedback delivery by building and solidifying a supportive supervisory climate that enhances supervisee receptivity to corrective feedback. The Corrective Feedback Instrument-Revised (CFI-R) is introduced as a major tool to facilitate preplanning. Additional resources that derive from the CFI-R are presented to assist supervisors in the preplanning process.

The Benefits of Group Supervision and a Recommended Structure for Implementation

“…The supervisor can then take note of the supervisee's behavior and give feedback during the subsequent individual session. The supervisor will have ample opportunity to preplan the feedback provided in the individual supervision meeting, such that the supervisee can optimally benefit from the feedback (Hulse & Robert, 2014). The group supervisory experience allows the supervisor to specifically contrive the previously described scenario, as opposed to hoping the supervisee has the opportunity to use what was learned in individual supervision meeting at an unspecified later date and without control over the setting and audience.…”

Recommendations for Detecting and Addressing Barriers to Successful Supervision

“…Most available resources focus on how to deliver effective feedback (Daniels, 2013a(Daniels, , b, 2015Parsons et al, 2012;Reid et al, 2012), and this section assumes that supervisors have assessed his/her own behavior in their regard and made the necessary changes to ensure that he is employing best practices in delivering feedback. However, Hulse and Robert (2014) suggest having critical conversations to pre-plan for feedback, such that supervisees are more likely to accept feedback. The authors recommend some specific activities that can be completed using the Corrective Feedback Instrument-Revised (CFI-R) to gather relevant information (Hulse & Robert, 2014;Hulse-Killacky, Orr, & Paradise, 2006).…”

“…However, Hulse and Robert (2014) suggest having critical conversations to pre-plan for feedback, such that supervisees are more likely to accept feedback. The authors recommend some specific activities that can be completed using the Corrective Feedback Instrument-Revised (CFI-R) to gather relevant information (Hulse & Robert, 2014;Hulse-Killacky, Orr, & Paradise, 2006). Whereas the authors suggest doing this at the outset of the relationship, it seems reasonable that it could be implemented once the supervisory experience has begun.…”

“…The supervisor might review articles on supervisory practice from other disciplines for resources to address general barriers (Scott et al, 2006) and specific issues such as providing effective feedback (Hulse & Robert, 2014). The supervisor could invite the supervisee to have an open an honest conversation about the relationship, with the goal of identifying where breakdowns occur and what might be done to fix them.…”

“…Speaking less could function to avoid feedback or detection of a lack of understanding of a particular topic. The supervisee may have contacted punishment (e.g., perceived harsh criticism) for incorrect (Sellers et al, 2016) -Use the Corrective Feedback Instrument-Revised (CFI-R) (Hulse-Killacky et al, 2006) -Engage in the specific activities for discussions about feedback (Hulse & Robert, 2014) answers in the past, or his or her own lack of confidence in the material may be discriminative for a Bsmile and nod^response that has been reinforced in the past. Supervisors should attend to subtle indicators of potential problems such as changes in vocal and facial affect, body language, eye contact, and changes in vocal behavior (e.g., talking less or more, change in tone of voice, stuttering, or other verbal dysfluencies).…”