JCPSLP Vol 14 No 2 2012

Group supervision, however, can have a number of disadvantages. These could include an unhealthy preoccupation with competitiveness and advice giving with members trying to outdo each other with a variety of “if I were you” solutions, or a focus on personal clinician needs to the exclusion of the client needs. In supervision groups, while it may be important for the supervisor (in terms of clinical education) to model reasoning and clinical skills, the supervisor can become dominant and hierarchical and do a poor job of leading beneficial group processes by continually showing off his/her expertise. Such supervision groups can also become over-collusive and inward looking and can ultimately fail to attend to the task of professional development (Hawkins & Shohet, 2000). Over the last decade, the use of electronic media, emails, Skype, and other forms of social networking have become increasingly popular for supervision (Carozza, 2011; Chambliss, 1996; Ferguson, 2005; Macklem, Kalinsky, & Corcoran, 2001). These forms of communication can be particularly valuable given time constraints and geographical isolation, however, there are confidentiality risks and a search of the literature failed to reveal evidence that “virtual” meetings are an effective substitute for involvement in face-to-face dialogue. Mentoring Another commonly used term is mentoring , usually involving direct professional assistance and role modelling plus emotional and psychological support by a more experienced and achieved mentor to a mentee (Jacobi, 1991). An example of this is ASHA’s Student To Empowered Professional (S.T.E.P.) mentor program that can be implemented face to face or via electronic media to provide student support (Carozza, 2011, p. 151). Generally speaking, mentoring is considered a different process to supervision (given its explicit hierarchy involving power/ assessment); nevertheless the power relationship in mentoring is still present but simply more subtle. The mentor is usually someone more experienced, knowledgeable and authoritative who will mentor someone, as distinct from networking or consulting. While it has been argued that mentoring can create increased job satisfaction, increased peer recognition, and potential career advancement for the mentee, and may even create rejuvenation in the mentor, it can also be argued that mentoring predominantly benefits the organisation where knowledge about the organisational culture is passed onto new employees to maintain the status quo (Carozza, 2011, p. 145ff; Limerick, Heywood, & Daws, 1994; Rose, 2005, p. 319ff) or is used to reduce attrition rates and increase staff productivity (Rolf-Flett, 2002). Such dynamics may not initially be considerd a problem from a management perspective, however ineffective mentoring can lead to “role confusion and development of hostile relationships where power imbalances and complexities of confidentiality inside the workplace are compromised” (Rose, 2005, p. 317). Other difficulties associated with mentoring have included poor matching of mentor and mentee, unrealistic or incompatible expectations, and relationships that become too intense or exclusive and ignore other professional input (Enyedy et al., 2003). Interestingly, in a study comparing the terms mentoring to networking by Queensland women in senior management positions (Limerick et al., 1994), it was discovered that the term mentoring was perceived to have negative connotations for women. The preferred term networking, however, was viewed to describe strategic

The success of a group, however, would hinge upon group members understanding the characteristics, dynamics, and potential benefits of adult learning through peer groups in comparison to other strategies – some of which are described using similar terminology but are very different ideologically and pragmatically. Terminology Within the literature across business, education, medical, and psychological professions, terms such as peer mentoring, peer coaching, peer review, peer supervision, peer assessment, peer mediated instruction, peer modelling, peer monitoring, and peer assistance, are all used to describe colleagues working together as peers to improve professional practice. While the use of the word peer in these terms suggests equal sharing and learning, nevertheless the linking of the word peer with other words (e.g., supervision, assessment, monitoring) forms terms which subsequently can be interpreted and utilised by management to create a hierarchical or an uneven balance of power in workplace relationships. Supervision Within speech pathology a range of supervision models are noted such as one-to-one supervision, peer-group supervision, group supervision, co-therapy, or co-working supervision, live or audio/video supervision, or email-/ computer-based supervision (Ferguson, 2005). The peer-group supervision in this context is defined as involving two or more members who supervise each other’s work informally and are overseen by a formal supervisor. Hawkins and Shohet (2000) outline six advantages of peer-group supervision: (a) it is economically efficient, (b) it creates a supportive atmosphere among peers, (c) it is particularly advantageous for new staff, (d) it allows for feedback from a range of colleagues, (e) as well as the group supervisor, and (f) it allows the supervisor to test whether group members have the same response to material as him/herself. A group can also provide a wide range of life experiences allowing greater empathy to develop between colleagues, and group supervision allows for modelling of techniques including re-enactment to help solve clinical dilemmas. Given such advantages, group supervision has been noted to be beneficial for speech pathology (Horton, de Lourdes Drachler, Fuller, & de Carvalho Leite, 2008). Table 2. Summary of the potential benefits of adult learning through peer groups 1. Establishment of a non-threatening learning community 2. Decreased work-related anxiety 3. Self-discovery, insight, and personal growth on the part of the participants 4. Increased acceptance, validation, and support between group members 5. Recognition for, and promotion of, professional expertise 6. Enhanced self-esteem and increased confidence 7. Prompt evaluation of competency 8. Improved communication and information sharing 9. A more professional and client-centred approach to care 10. Improved staff morale 11. Improved quality of care Source: Hart, 1995

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JCPSLP Volume 14, Number 2 2012

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