Tools for your reflective practice
What is reflective practice?
Reflective practice is the habit of deliberately pausing to think about our coaching – what happened, what we noticed, what we did and why, and what we might do differently next time. It helps us learn from our experience rather than simply moving on to the next session.
Some of this might happen after a specific session, and some of it is about noticing trends, patterns and changes over time. This kind of regular reflection helps us deepen our self-awareness, challenge assumptions, and keep developing our practice.
I find the best way to reflect is in a quiet space with a cup of tea and a biscuit, or in the company of good peers!
Reflection prompts & resources
The questions and recommendations below are adapted from the monthly In Practice newsletter, where I – and invited guests – share reflections on our coaching practice and development, and the questions we’ve found most powerful:
| # | Reflect on your coaching… | Explore further… |
|---|---|---|
| 1/ | Where am I working too hard as a coach? | A Thinking Environment in Coaching, Nancy Kline |
| 2/ | What am I responsible for as a coach? | Roles & responsibilities of a coach, David Clutterbruck |
| 3/ | How is power showing up in my coaching? | Coaching and power guide, Robert Gass |
| 4/ | Am I meeting my client where they are? | Embracing Imperfection: the client as coach, Roxana Bacian |
| 5/ | Next prompt coming soon… |
The thinking behind In Practice
I occasionally write about coaching and reflective practice on LinkedIn. These articles explore some of the questions and ideas behind the work I do with coaches:
The five pillars of coach development
(coming soon)
Read on LinkedIn →
Three reasons practising coaching with peers is so powerful for coach development
Why practising with other coaches can help develop your coaching style and confidence in ways that training alone can’t.
Read on LinkedIn →
Not sure what’s next for your coaching?
Book a Coach Development Conversation to talk it through.
Keep reflecting
If you found the reflection prompts and resources above useful, subscribe to my mailing list to receive new ones direct to your inbox every month.