Coaching Practiced

8 Building reflective capability to enhance coaching practice

Louise Kovacs & Sarah Corrie

Abstract

The ability to reflect on our work is increasingly recognised as a vital competence of skilled professional practice. However, reflection is a concept that has proved difficult to define and operationalise which can hamper the ability to devise effective means of enhancing this capability. This article examines the concept of reflection, reviews some of the literature which seeks to inform our understanding of reflective practice, and provides an illustration of its use in coaching research and practice. The article concludes with some recommendations for coaches and coaching psychologists who wish to develop their skills as reflective practitioners.

Keywords

Reflection; reflective practice; reflection-in-action; reflection-on-action; coaching; formulation.

Original publication details: Kovacs, L., & Corrie, S. (2017, June). Building reflective capability to enhance coaching practice. The Coaching Psychologist, 13(1), 4–12. Reproduced with permission of The British Psychological Society.

INTRODUCTION

Technical knowledge, while vital to learning and development, is insufficient for preparing individuals for the realities of professional practice. An additional, more experientially-based, form of knowledge is required if professional practice is to prove responsive to individual client need, deliver procedural expertise, and demonstrate more than the mechanical application of ...