2026 Year of Honest Conversations?

The start of a new year is a great time to think about how we grow and improve. As part of the Coaching Supervision Academy, as a tutor, I help train people who support coaches and organisational leaders in doing their best work.

Here's a simple truth: everyone needs someone they can talk to honestly about their work. Amy Edmondson, who studies how teams work well together, says that people need "a climate in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves." In other words, we all need a safe space to be real.

Why do I know this matters?

Over 25 years, I've worked with teams and leaders across the international community. I've learned that what works in one country doesn't always work in another. I've made mistakes. I've misread situations. I've had moments where I wasn't sure if I was helping or making things worse.

Working across different cultures taught me something important: we all struggle with similar challenges, but we need safe spaces to admit when we're unsure. What experience has shown me is that this is precisely what coaching supervision provides.

It's a place where coaches and leaders, regardless of position, can say things like:

• "I'm not sure I did the right thing in that meeting"

• "I don't know if my leadership team trusts me anymore to lead"

• "I'm struggling with cultural differences and need help thinking it through"

• "I don't feel ike I belong here despite assurances to the contrary"

• "Am I safe to speak my truth if it differs from others?"

• "Can I challenge the commonly held view on this executive body?"

• " Do I need to be a different person to be promoted? Why can't I just be me?

  With each passing year, there is an opportunity to do something different from the year before. Recognising what went well and accepting the moments that were not so much. All of it is welcome, all the same, as part of the tapestry of being human.

  
  

Without this kind of safe space, we keep making the same mistakes. We stay stuck. We can't grow. Creeping sense of isolation as we remain silent, as it is now the safer option. Ignoring the fact that an organisation is a byproduct of different held perspectives fusing for a better outcome. A more thought-through and often fought for difference of opinions held up to the light, as a good thing.

Why does this matter for you?

The Coaching Supervision strengthens the coaching profession by:

• Creating safe communities where people can learn from each other without judgment

• Showing that asking questions and admitting uncertainty are signs of strength, not weakness

• Connecting ideas from research with real-life experience

• Making sure coaches and leaders stay honest and keep improving

• Tapping into the untapped potential of those who might be silent, recognising they still have something to say.

  

Why does this matter for us?

The new year is the perfect time to get this kind of support. Growing as a collective in the service of something bigger than yourself. Whether you're a coach looking to get better at your job or a leader building a team where people feel safe speaking up, coaching supervision gives you space to reflect, learn, and lead with greater confidence.

For me, being part of this work and community means I'm always learning and growing, too. I don't have all the answers. I stay curious, keep asking questions, and hold myself accountable to the people we serve, my colleagues, and my clients who support me, as I support them. Also, this is the opportunity to make 2026 more than a rinse-and-repeat of the journey through the previous four quarters. Contextual intimate support is how we build a stronger profession, a stronger community, one honest conversation at a time.