Intervision

We achieve great things when we listen, connect and communicate clearly together. There is real attention to each other, and surprisingly creative ideas are often raised.

Do you, together with your colleagues, want to take an earnest look at the way in which you operate on the work floor? Are you in need of a quiet place where you and your co-workers/professional colleagues, can discuss challenging issues in confidence? Or do you, as an organisation, want your employees to reflect better on their work, learn to ask themselves questions or find each other in case of problems?

intervisie

The word intervision (or peer review) is increasingly thought of as being the way to professionalise yourself on the work floor.

But what is intervision?

Intervision is a method to learn from each other in regards to everyday work issues. This is done with a group of colleagues and peers in a self-managing, but structured way. The methodical approach, focused on first exploring the question before giving advice, strengthens the communication and strategic skills of the participants and utilises the diversity of the group.

Through good conditions and principles a sense of trust and safety is created, in which participants optimally reflect on an introduced issue, discuss vulnerabilities and devise new actions. Intervision can therefore be seen as a specific form of professional development.

To participants, intervision also means a moment of peace and reflection in a work environment that is often subject to constant change and sudden demands on everyone’s adaptability.

Intervision is valuable because it strives towards a culture of trust at relatively low cost because it is an element of a learning organisation. The participants will learn to explore the principles of their professional behaviour and to determine whether those principles are still useful, or need to be adapted.

To get the desired results from intervision, it is necessary that it takes place in a structured and careful manner. Effective intervision processes therefore require a disciplined approach, knowledge of the group process and an attitude of deferred judgment and advice. Otherwise there is a risk that the meetings will have little structure, lack depth or unintentionally place the emphasis on “safe and cosy”. Also, other organisational goals can be confused with intervision, making intervision no longer a proper place for proper reflection. Good intervision therefore requires the use of certain knowledge and skills. These can all be learned.

Happy is he who has come to know the causes of things - Vergilius

The following examples come from an unruly intervision practice, taken directly from the work floor. It seems the principles are not handled properly. Recognisable? Supervised intervision can provide a solution.

  • Our intervision group is more like a social gathering, and doesn’t really address work problems.
  • Our intervision group has little structure. We often don’t know where things are heading during a session.
  • My manager is also part of my intervision group. That often keeps me from speaking my mind.
  • Attendance is highly variable in my intervision group. This reduces the motivation.
  • If I input a case in my intervision group, I am often overwhelmed with advice. I feel judged by others.
  • I would like to try another intervision method.
  • When I lead an intervision session, I find it very difficult.
  • The participants do not feel safe in the intervision group. How did that happen?
  • I don’t know how to stimulate reflection and create the peaceful atmosphere to properly explore the case at hand.

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