Committing to Self-Development: Reflection, Feedback and Ongoing Growth

As I develop as a coach, I am increasingly aware that my growth depends on how intentionally I reflect on my practice and respond to what I learn. Rather than viewing development as something that happens naturally over time, I am learning to take an active role in shaping it. This reflective account explores the use of reflective models, feedback, and personal development planning (PDP) to evaluate effectiveness and ongoing development support.

Using reflective models to prepare for practice

Although I am still at an early stage of my coaching practice, reflective models are already central to how I prepare for working with coachees. Donald Schön’s concepts of Reflection-IN-action and Reflection-ON-action have been particularly helpful in building awareness of how I show up in coaching-related conversations. Reflection-IN-action helps me notice my instinct to advise, problem-solve, or regain control, and consciously choose curiosity instead. Reflection-ON-action allows me to review how I managed my emotions, presence, and preparation afterwards.

My first chemistry call* highlighted this clearly. Preparing for the call reduced my anxiety and helped me stay present, while reflecting afterwards allowed me to recognise how structure supported my listening rather than restricted it. I should hope this learning will influence how I plan and approach future coaching sessions.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is particularly useful after experiences that feel emotionally significant. The model helps me acknowledge emotions as part of learning and move beyond description into analysis and action. Applying Gibbs’ cycle to my chemistry call helped me recognise how preparation supported both my confidence and the (potential) coachee’s sense of safety. From this, I hope to continue using light structure while remaining flexible, curious, and responsive.

In line with Michelly Lucas’s argument that reflective practice need not be limited to journalling, I view reflection as a broader, more flexible habit. While journalling remains valuable, some of my most meaningful reflection occurs through conversation, quiet thinking time, or noticing bodily and emotional responses at the end of the day. This broader approach makes reflection more sustainable and more closely aligned with how I naturally process experiences.

To ensure my reflections are balanced and not solely based on my own perspective, I draw on Brookfield’s Four Lenses, where I can combine personal journalling with feedback from others, peer conversations, and coaching theory and research. This combination reflects a more expansive understanding of reflective practice and prevents reflection from becoming overly self-critical, helping to ground my learning in evidence, dialogue, and lived experience rather than assumption.

*A recording of my reflections on my first chemistry call is available on the ‘Recordings Page’.

Developing self-awareness through feedback

Developing self-awareness is a core part of my self-development. One key tool I have used is the Johari Window, which helped me explore the gap between how I see myself and how others perceive me.

I invited nine people (colleagues, friends, and family) to complete the exercise. The feedback was reassuring and insightful. The most frequently chosen words were helpful, friendly, organised, and adaptable, which align with how I see myself. Interestingly, many also described me as confident, something I don’t readily identify with. This suggests I may project confidence outwardly while experiencing doubt internally. Conversely, no one selected nervous or shy, even though I sometimes feel that way.

This feedback highlighted a hidden area in my self-awareness and has directly informed my development focus: learning to balance confidence with authenticity, and to see vulnerability as a strength rather than something to conceal. This links directly to my initial PDP, where developing confidence is identified as a key area for growth.

Turning reflection into action: My PDP

To demonstrate commitment to ongoing development, I translate reflection into action through a my PDP, which is informed by reflective journalling, feedback, learning theory, and early coaching-related experiences. My current development goals focus on:

• Self-awareness: developing authenticity and managing self-criticism

• Skills: improving listening, questioning, and communication

• Knowledge: safely and ethically applying coaching models and techniques

• Presence: reducing reliance on control and trusting the coaching process

  
  

Evaluating effectiveness and ongoing development

As my coaching practice develops, I should evaluate its effectiveness through a range of sources, including:

• Reflective journals reviewed over time

• Structured feedback from peers, supervisors, and coachees

• Regular PDP reviews

• Supervision discussions focused on patterns, learning, and development

  
  

Conclusion

Committing to self-development means being willing to look honestly at myself and my practice, even when it feels uncomfortable. By embedding reflection, feedback, PDPs, and supervision into my learning, I am laying strong foundations for ethical and effective coaching practice. Self-development is not something I plan to add later... it is already central to how I prepare, learn, and grow as a coach.

Written by YS