INTRODUCING SANDY SCERRI July 2, 2010

Associate at OFQT

This is Sandy Scerri and I am a brand new Associate working with OFQT.  Here is my story about how important I believe Professional Supervision is likely to be for coaches and mentors in the future.

I remember when I started out as a Trainer almost 20 years ago, I was just ‘winging it’ really, based generally on the simple Train the Trainer I had attended and I know that with each training session I ran, I would feel a little less overwhelmed, yet still  fairly terrified at facing a group of expectant delegates.  How I practised and practised the training I was to deliver, but I was always worried that I would be asked ‘The Question of all Questions’ – the one I couldn’t answer.  I learnt very quickly to ad-lib, to pretend or to just bluff my way through the sessions.

Today, it is different – I have quite a number of training sessions under my belt, and I had more help and mentoring in recent years through a company I had worked for.  As a Professional Trainer I take pride in the training I deliver, however, I also know, it is a lonely profession, and that there was not much out there for my own development and it is only in the last few years that Training Networks have sprung up and Trainers actually talk with each other, although they are still reluctant to share their programmes for fear of being plagiarised.

But what if there had been someone out there, when I first started out, who I could have run things by, bounced ideas off of; someone who would review my performance, help me to refine my skills and help me hone my technical competencies?  Someone who could have helped me get even better in a profession I really love, open my eyes and ears to different opportunities, have me believe in myself more and my capabilities as well as just to having someone believe in me?

How I would have loved to have had access to Professional Supervision.  It is so encouraging to know that this is now available and that OFQT are leading the way in making this available to a wider audience – I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is in the Training, Teaching, Facilitating or Coaching profession who just needs to have someone who is there for them!

I look forward to making more posts here on the OFQT blog.

Written by Sandy Scerri, Associate, OFQT

E-mail: sandy@ofqt.com