What is reflective practice in coaching? Why is it an important skill for coaches? What are some examples of reflective practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Coach the Person, Not the Problem<\/em>, Marcia Reynolds seeks to expand people\u2019s understanding of coaching. She argues that coaching is a partnership in which coaches can use reflective practice to help clients examine and challenge deep-seated beliefs that limit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading to learn more about reflective practice in coaching, according to Reynolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Author and transformational coach Marcia Reynolds argues that your top priority during coaching sessions is to stay focused on helping your client address deeply held assumptions, beliefs, and emotions that hinder their progress<\/strong>\u2014not fixing surface-level problems they present to you. In her book Coach the Person, Not the Problem<\/em><\/a>, she explains how to use reflective practice in coaching to focus on clients\u2019 deeper beliefs and emotions, helping them to see how particular beliefs and emotions lead them into the same problems and undesirable situations over and over again. Then, they can view those problems and situations differently, expand their understanding of themselves, and make lasting change<\/a>. In contrast, providing solutions to surface-level problems will address the issue at hand, but it won\u2019t help your client understand why they repeatedly confront the same problem that masks itself in different forms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: A different way of thinking about the interplay of beliefs, emotions, and behavior is through the lens of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a technique premised on the idea that clients can make positive behavioral changes by identifying and replacing negative, limiting thoughts with accurate, productive ones<\/a>\u2014a process that fuels a continuous cycle of cognitive and mood improvements.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds acknowledges that examining clients\u2019 underlying beliefs is an uncomfortable process because it requires clients to be vulnerable and coaches to delve into emotionally precarious terrain. But surfacing uncomfortable feelings and truths is the only way to help clients see that their inaccurate beliefs and challenging emotions are the source of their struggle to make decisions and take action<\/strong> in their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: The issue of client vulnerability exists not just in coaching but in counseling professions, which historically were not as receptive to clients exposing their raw emotions as they are today. In Nonviolent Communication<\/em><\/a>, Marshall B. Rosenberg argues that until the mid-20th century, the cardinal rule of psychotherapy was clinical detachment<\/a>. Therapists were trained in analysis, not empathy, and taught to respond to clients who expressed vulnerability with cool detachment, which discouraged them from sharing more.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can stay focused on clients\u2019 underlying assumptions by reminding yourself as you enter sessions of core principles of the coach-client relationship that de-emphasize surface-level problem-solving, including that you\u2019re a partner who\u2019s there to help your fully competent client reflect on deeper beliefs, not an expert who\u2019s there to solve their problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds says that using reflective practice in coaching by reflecting clients\u2019 words and emotions back to them allows clients to more objectively see and examine underlying factors that limit them<\/strong> and consider new ways forward. The reflective process begins with summarizing or rephrasing important points that your client makes, then asking follow-up questions and reflecting back emotions the client surfaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Therapists support Reynolds\u2019 approach for going deeper, asserting that when you listen to understand<\/em> rather than respond<\/em> to<\/em> clients you make them feel heard and validated<\/a>, which can give you more insight into the challenges they face. Similar to Reynolds, they say you can go deeper with clients by putting aside your personal feelings and agenda, suspending judgment, focusing on the other person\u2019s perspective, asking open-ended questions to enhance your understanding of what they\u2019re saying, and summarizing and validating what they\u2019ve said.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds says the first step to reflective practice in coaching is to verbally summarize your client\u2019s key points, then add short, clarifying questions to get a deeper understanding<\/a> of what they\u2019re thinking and feeling<\/strong>. As you do this, you should allow room for your client to fill in the blanks and add additional details and explanation. This back-and-forth dialogue ensures that you have an accurate understanding of your client’s position while revealing deeper motivations and emotions that your client is experiencing (perhaps subconsciously). By demonstrating to your client that you\u2019re present and listening rather than jumping to conclusions<\/a>, you’ll receive helpful information that will enable you to guide them to their own realizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Aside from coaching, therapists assert that reflective practice is a component of \u201cvalidation in therapy,\u201d a process that helps clients see that their words and experiences matter and are being taken seriously, and that their behavior\u2014even if inappropriate\u2014is understandable<\/a>. The process has been found to improve client outcomes and build trust and strengthen the therapeutic alliance between counselors and clients.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To get the most out of summarizing and questioning, frame your questions to solicit the following information, which will help you help your client home in on the source of the challenges they\u2019re facing and identify goals to move forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Summarizing what your client has said interrupts their automatic thought process, giving them the chance to pause and consider a) whether your synopsis is accurate and b) the underlying meaning of the thought or belief they shared. Reynolds says that summarizing entails three skills: recapping, paraphrasing, and encapsulating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: In The Coaching Habit<\/em><\/a>, Michael Bungay Stanier adds that a good question gets to the point without feeling like it came out of a coaching manual. He recommends starting by simply asking, \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?,\u201d<\/a> then following up with, \u201cAnything else?,\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s your central challenge?,\u201d and, \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Like Reynolds, he argues that coaches should trust in people\u2019s ability to identify and rectify their challenges, and he says you can communicate this trust by asking: \u201cHow can I support you?\u201d rather than stepping in and fixing their problems.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recapping<\/strong> is when you provide highlights of the issue, problem, or reason your client says they\u2019re having difficulty making a decision or taking an action. It allows you to clarify and make sure you understand the full picture of what your client\u2019s saying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds recommends that you use the same words your client has used if their language is strong, for example, if they say they \u201chate\u201d or think something\u2019s \u201cidiotic\u201d or \u201cwish\u201d someone would do something. Mirroring their words allows you to tap into deeper emotions closer to the root of the issues they\u2019re struggling with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paraphrasing<\/strong> is when you interpret and restate what your client said using different words. Paraphrasing allows your client to evaluate the meaning of their words and emotions and, if they don\u2019t agree with how you\u2019ve framed what they said, to correct or clarify what they meant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds says that because paraphrasing is an interpretation<\/em> of what a client has said, you should be mindful to stay true to what you believe they meant when using reflective practice in coaching. Guessing what they were thinking based on your personal experiences loads external meaning and judgments onto the situation. This pulls you out of the reflective inquiry process, turning you away from the important role of a partner who sees their client\u2019s greatest potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Encapsulating<\/strong> is when you sum up your client\u2019s story in a handful of words. When you encapsulate, clients can agree or disagree with your framing, clarify what they meant, expand upon what they want or need to address, and decide on a particular direction to pursue. Ways that you can encapsulate a client\u2019s story include: <\/p>\n\n\n\nReynolds on Reflective Practice in Coaching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Reflect Back Clients\u2019 Words and Emotions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reflect Back by Summarizing and Asking Follow-Up Questions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n