Sieviešu vadītāju grupas supervīzijas pieredze

This qualitative, phenomenological research explored the lived experience of women managers in group supervision. During the study, answers to the following questions were searched: What is the lived experience of women managers in group supervision as professional counseling support? How do participants describe their experience? What were the positive aspects of the group supervision experience? What were the negative aspects of the group supervision experience? What will be helpful or be applied from the gained group supervision experience in further professional activities? During group supervision, on which professional issues did women managers achieve the most diverse or valuable experience? The significance of this study is based on the knowledge that there is limited research on what kind of professional support women managers use. Also, there is little knowledge of the role of group supervision as professional support for women managers. Moreover, qualitative studies on the group supervision experience of women managers subject have not been carried out in Latvia. The study involved six women managers, aged 34-50, working in the private sector, with managerial experience from 2 to 24 years without prior experience in group supervision. The phenomenological design and interpretative phenomenological analysis as data analysis methods were selected to study the lived experience of women managers in group supervision. Five face-to-face group supervision sessions for female managers were conducted as an intervention in this study. After group supervision sessions, semi-structured, Zoom remote online interviews were performed to obtain individual women managers' experience stories. As a result of data analysis, five group experiential themes were illuminated with three to eight group-level sub-themes. The results of this study reflect that the group's supervision can be valuable professional support for women managers. Group supervision can help get answers and solutions to various issues and provide an opportunity to be together and learn from the other members' experiences. The safe, reliable, and supportive environment, the group and its interaction, and the supervisor's work are essential aspects of a positive group supervision experience. For most members, the negative aspects of the group's supervision experience related to emotional difficulties, anxiety, and insecurity at the beginning of the group's supervision, as well as the problems were to adopt another or express own views. Emotionality and emotional regulation in professional activity were also topical issues for women managers in group supervision. The results of this study can help promote supervision as professional support in the business environment and as professional support for women managers. Also, this study's results can help supervisors prepare before running a group supervision session for women managers.