Mentor Supervision - Real life experiences

What Six Business Mentors Discovered When They Finally Tried It

If you're a mentor — new or experienced — you may heard people talk about supervision.

You might have thought:

• Is that something I really need?

• Will I be judged?

• What if I'm doing it “wrong”?

• What actually happens in a supervision session?

You’re not alone. Almost every mentor arrives at their first session with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

And that makes complete sense.

Supervision is unfamiliar territory for many mentors.

Unlike coaching, where supervision is expected, mentoring can feel more fluid, more intuitive… and more personal. So the idea of someone looking at your practice can be uncomfortable.

But something remarkable happens when mentors finally try it.

Those initial nerves dissolve into clarity, confidence, and a sense of relief.

And nothing illustrates this better than the voices of six mentors I recently supervised through their ILM programmes with the Association of Business Mentors.

Their words tell the real story.

“I Came In Apprehensive…” – The Nerves Every Mentor Has (But May Not Talk About)

When you step into your mentoring sessions, do you ever:

• doubt whether you’re challenging enough?

• question whether you’re “advising too much”?

• wonder if your mentoring is becoming too much like consulting?

• feel unsure how to structure a session when a mentee arrives with something unexpected?

• wish you had someone to talk it through with — confidentially and constructively?

If you do, you’re not failing. You’re normal.

One mentor said:

“I came into the session apprehensive… and left feeling much more comfortable with options that serve both mentor and mentee.” — EB

This is the arc that so many mentors experience:

Uncertainty → Clarity

Concern → Confidence

Apprehension → Agency

Because supervision gives you a safe, structured space to look at your practice with honesty and curiosity. No judgement. Just growth.

The Power of Seeing Your Blind Spots — Safely

Sometimes, supervision reveals things you suspected about your practice but weren’t sure how to navigate. For example, several of the six mentors struggled with an issue you might recognise:

Over-advising.

Have you ever felt that temptation — the urge to jump in with your expertise because you genuinely want to help?

One mentor said:

“I made significant progress with my supervision challenge. Going into the session, I had a general sense of over-advising… By the end, I had immediate, actionable approaches. I moved from vague awareness to a concrete path forward.” — GT

They discovered that their instinct to advise came from energy and enthusiasm, which could be channelled back into the mentee's thinking. And once they saw that, the shift was immediate.

Together, we explored tools like:

• pausing

• asking “And what else?”

• asking for permission to give input, and then handing it back

• creating physical anchors to stay curious.

Simple but powerful strategies that kept responsibility where it belongs — with the mentee.

Suddenly, mentoring sessions felt lighter, more grounded, and more effective.

Supervision Gives You Structure, Strength & Stillness

Supervision gives you a chance to slow down, reflect, and sharpen your approach. One mentor put it beautifully:

“Nicki modelled structure exceptionally well… and it’s something I can mirror in my own sessions.” — GT

This is what supervision makes possible:

✔ A clear beginning

✔ A purposeful middle

✔ A clean, grounded ending

✔ And a spacious, human conversation throughout.

Supervision doesn’t just elevate your practice intellectually.It does something deeper:

It shows you what “good” looks like — in real time.

“The session helped me make lots of progress in relaxing, being confident and carrying the mentoring process lightly. " - AC

“I was uncertain when I came to the session... By the end there was clarity" - LE

And once you experience that, you can’t help but bring it into your own sessions.

So… Is Supervision Worth It?

Answer a few more questions, honestly:

• If you’re mentoring, who is supporting you?

• When was the last time someone helped you refine your practice with objectivity, care and clarity?

• How often do you get a chance to talk openly about the challenges that don’t appear in glossy mentoring case studies?

• If your mentees deserve high-quality support… don’t you?

The mentors I worked with described supervision as:

✔ clarifying ✔ comforting ✔ confidence-building ✔ insightful ✔ game-changing ✔ warm, open and flexible.

Supervision is stretching. And it’s a space where you get to be real, reflective, and professionally nourished.

Your Invitation: Try Just One Supervision Session

It doesn't matter who you choose to work with. What matters is this:

If you’re doing repeat or professional mentoring, supervision is not optional — it’s essential.

One hour with a qualified supervisor can show you:

• what you need from individual supervision

• what you can’t get from self-study or peer conversations

• what makes your mentoring stronger

• and what your next steps look like.

So here’s my invitation:

Be courageous. Be curious. Be committed to your craft.

Try one session. See what it unlocks.

➡️ Complete the contact form and request a one-hour supervision call at the bottom of this page: https://www.businesssupervisorsgroup.co.uk/services-2

Your future mentees will thank you.

And so will your future self.