Lost in the Paperwork: Why Supervision Feels Broken (And How to Fix It)

If you're a BCBA® supervising RBTs®, chances are your desktop looks like a graveyard of half-filled spreadsheets, sticky notes, and digital folders with names like "Supervision Stuff_FINAL_final_v3." You didn't become a behavior analyst to chase down PDFs at 11:00 p.m.

You invested in beautiful planners, downloaded Airtable templates, and maybe even tried a project management app or two. And yet—it still feels like you're reinventing the wheel every time you prep for supervision.

So, what gives?

What Supervision Is Supposed to Be

According to the BACB®, supervision should be structured, ongoing, and focused on both technical and interpersonal skill development. But when your systems are duct-taped together, even the most well-intentioned efforts fall short. Here's what should be happening:

• Regular goal setting and review
  

• Direct observation with immediate feedback
  

• Evaluation of ethical decision-making
  

• Development of soft skills like communication and collaboration

Instead, many BCBAs® spend most of their "supervision" time digging through files, trying to remember what they last worked on.

Supervision Feels Broken Because the System Is

This isn't about you being disorganized. It's about trying to do complex, dynamic work with tools that weren’t designed for the job.

Think about it:

• Spreadsheets track data, but don't prompt reflection.
  

• Checklists ensure coverage, but not depth.
  

• Notes apps are easy to lose, hard to organize.

Imagine trying to teach joint attention using a broken toy. That's what it’s like trying to support RBT® growth with disconnected supervision tools.

From Chaos to Clarity: What a Good System Looks Like

A good system should act like a co-pilot—not another task to manage. It should:

• Organize goals and feedback by date, topic, and progress
  

• Integrate both technical skills and interpersonal growth
  

• Prompt regular reflection (for both supervisor and supervisee)
  

• Be flexible enough to use in real time during sessions
  

And most importantly: It should reduce your cognitive load, not add to it.

The Messy Desk vs. The Command Center

Picture a BCBA® trying to conduct supervision from a cluttered desk, papers flying everywhere. Now picture a command center: clean, streamlined, with all the data and decisions right where you need them.

That’s the shift we're aiming for.

The Research Says...

Supervision outcomes improve when tools support real-time feedback, structured goal progression, and interpersonal growth (Sellers, Valentino, & LeBlanc, 2016). Even more compelling: Systems that reduce administrative friction free up cognitive energy for clinical reasoning and relationship-building.

What You Can Do Today

You don't have to wait for perfection. Here are three things you can do this week:

1. Pick one RBT® and start a shared document that tracks goals, feedback, and reflections.
   

2. Schedule one reflective supervision question per session.
   

3. Notice one barrier in your current system and brainstorm what a better version would look like.
   

And if you find yourself thinking, "There has to be a better way..." you're not wrong.

A system is coming that was built specifically for this kind of work. Stay tuned.

Ready to Take Your Supervision to the Next Level?

If you're feeling the pressure to make your RBT® supervision more meaningful and manageable, you're not alone. Supervising isn't just about compliance—it's about connection, clarity, and cultivating confident, competent behavior technicians. Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine your approach, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

For more actionable tips, tools, and real-world resources to elevate your RBT® supervision game, head over to www.elevateyourabasupervision.com. It’s your one-stop hub for building better systems, stronger relationships, and sustainable supervision practices.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these CEU courses designed specifically for BCBAs® who supervise:

• The Retention Revolution: The Secret to Reducing RBT Burnout – Discover proven strategies to keep your RBTs® engaged, energized, and empowered.

• The Supervisor's Toolbox: Strategies for Building Effective Relationships – Learn how to foster trust, transparency, and team cohesion with your supervisees.

• The Feedback Loop: Engineering a Culture of Collaboration and Growth in ABA – Transform your feedback from one-sided to collaborative, ongoing, and growth-oriented.

• Precision Supervision: High-Yield Tools for Thriving RBTs® and Balanced BCBAs® – Streamline your systems and amplify outcomes with efficient, research-backed practices.

• What Your Training Didn't Cover: Closing the Cultural Humility Gap in Supervision – Address the often-overlooked dynamics that impact equity and effectiveness in supervision.

Whether you're managing burnout, building rapport, or boosting clinical impact—you're not in this alone. You're building something meaningful. Let's make sure your supervision reflects that.

References

Sellers, T. S., Valentino, A. L., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2016). Recommended practices for individual supervision of aspiring behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(3), 274–286. 

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