Book Review: Effective Supervision for the Helping Professions by Michael Carroll

Published in 2014 Effective Supervision for the Helping Professions (second edition) by Michael Carroll is an informative book that provides suggestions for managers to improve their ability to understand the concerns of their employees.  Throughout the book, Carroll references inventor Leonardo da Vinci and the philosopher Socrates. 

In Chapter 8 – “Learning from Supervision,” Carroll uses Leonardo da Vinci as an example to follow for effective supervision.  “Leonardo constantly questioned his own conclusions, theories, beliefs and assumptions and suggested others do the same.”

Here are some key points from Carroll’s book:

P. 102. “We make that mistake constantly – thinking we are on our own, making our own decisions, having total free will and control over our lives and can change, if we choose, what we want to change.  We often believe we are independent individuals reliant on no one else for the important challenges of life.  Not so.  We miss the systems part of our lives, and refuse to acknowledge its impact to our peril.”

P. 124. The Rashomon Effect: There are several ways of interpreting experiences and also several ways to interpret the same experiences, even by the same person.

P. 178. Lisa Cron offers the following analysis of how the human brain functions in terms of story-telling:

* Emotion determines the meaning of everything.

* Everything we do is goal directed.

* We see the world, not as it is, but as we believe it to be.

* The brain is wired to resist change, even good change.

* The brain is hardwired to make causal connections (if this, then that).

* Since the brain abhors randomness, it is always converting raw data into meaningful patterns.

Recommendations from Socrates included:

*Know how little you know: No matter how much you know or how many books you have read, there is so much more that you don’t know.  Be aware of your ignorance and don’t get complacent.  Uncertainty is the beginning of wisdom.

* Be open minded.

* Use your power wisely.

* Above all, don’t be afraid: Fear is the enemy of learning and excellence.

* Take the initiative: Don’t wait for others to do things.

* Live what you believe in: Build bridges all the time, especially between theory and practice.

P. 183. “money buys not just ideas but people, and when you are bought you so often collude.”

P. 184. “Beware of charismatic leaders, unquestioned authorities, enlightened masters, perfect gurus, reincarnated teachers and particularly those who have discovered the only valid form of doing something.”