Publications from ODSW Social Work Supervsion | Page 32

Day 2 Keynote 1: West Meets East: Sharing of Supervisory Strategies and Skills – Dialogue and Demonstration – Part 1

Day 2 Keynote 1: West Meets East: Sharing and
Demonstration of Supervisory Strategies and
Skills – Part 1
Professor Tsui Ming Sum
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Department of Applied Social Sciences

Introduction
Prof. Tsui began by using cats and dogs as a metaphor to depict the relationship between
the supervisor and supervisee. He expressed that supervisors often have sharp senses, as
do cats, and at times have to work alone. On the other hand, the supervisees share similar
attributes with dogs, such as friendliness and helpfulness, especially with their clients. To
put forth his point he shared some videos of dogs and cats and asked the participants to
identify some social values of the dog. Among the responses offered were that of being
dependable, reliable, willing to try, having attention to detail and caring for its owner. In
such a manner, he expressed that these are some values that should be present in the
worker as well.
Illustrations
Through several videos, Prof. Tsui sought to illustrate some of his points. He expressed
that supervisees often want support and care but not administrative supervision. He also
expressed that supervisors would want undemanding supervisees. However, this is not
ideal as it runs the risk of a ‘country club supervision’ where everyone is happy but nothing
is done. Prof. Tsui also used several videos to illustrate the role of a supervisor as a gatekeeper and someone who sets the standard.
Needs of Supervision
In order for the supervisor to be aware of the needs of supervision, they must get rid of
poor, outdated practices and be mindful of client’s complaints and staff morale. This can
be monitored through staff attitude surveys, and the turnover rates of the staff. A
comparison with the best practices in the field should also be done as the gap between the
agency’s own practices and that of the best practices will indicate the gap that needs to be
filled.
Physical Setting
Prof. Tsui also added that the physical setting of the supervision session should be
comfortable, a setting which allows for the session to be private and confidential. It should
be one that facilitates communication, and compatible to the supervisor-supervisee
relationship. This means that the setting should not make it seem as though there is a
power imbalance or a hierarchy between the supervisor and supervisee. Instead, they
should appear as peers.
Goal-focused Supervisory Contract
Prof. Tsui shared that there should be a form of supervisory contract between the
supervisor and the supervisee.
1. There should be a mature and professional attitude between the supervisor and
supervisee, with this relationship founded on a firm knowledge base.
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