By Michelle Lucas (United Kingdom)
In our last issue Michelle Lucas shared her thoughts on the importance of integrating reflective practice into our coaching work. Reflection can come in many forms and part one of this series looked at independent reflection. However, coaching can be a lonely business. There’s no-one in the room when you are working – so how do you know whether what you are doing is “right” or “wrong” ? Finding other coaches to network with and share stories is an essential way of assessing your own sense of best practice and often it’s a rich source of creativity too.
Help talking it through….
For those who struggle to reflect in splendid isolation, working with fellow coaches can be a lifeline. If you are already more extrovert in nature then you will know that you “think by talking”. At the simplest level finding a “buddy” who has similar interest in coaching can provide the opportunity and discipline to “chew things over”. This does not always have to be face to face – talking on the phone or on Skype are great alternatives.
Source: iCN Issue 3 (Life Coaching); pages 50-51
About Michelle Lucas
Michelle Lucas is a practicing Executive and Career Coach as well as a Coach Supervisor. She has a background in Psychology and Commercial HR and was trained as both a coach and a coach supervisor at Oxford Brookes University. She is an Accredited Coach with the Association for Coaching and also works for them in a voluntary capacity as the AC Supervision Lead. She began her coaching business “greenfields” in 2003.
