Reflective practice and continuous improvement are essential pillars of excellence in the profession of Ikigai Coach. Beyond mastery of tools and techniques, it is the ability to question one’s practice, draw lessons from it, and continuously adapt that makes the difference between a good coach and an outstanding coach.
Regular self-assessment of one’s strengths, areas for improvement and developmental needs is the starting point for any continuous improvement process. The Ikigai Coach maintains a reflective routine, taking time after each session to analyze their posture, interventions, and impacts. They honestly and compassionately question what worked well, what didn’t work as well, and what they could do differently next time. This self-evaluation can be aided by analysis grids, questionnaires, or even video recordings of sessions.
Imagine an Ikigai Coach who, after a challenging session where they felt a certain distance with their client, takes the time to revisit the session’s course. They realize that they talked a lot and listened little, and that their interventions were more focused on their own ideas than on the client’s experience. They then set the goal to develop more empathetic listening and to more question the client’s needs in the next session.
Seeking and integrating feedback from clients, peers, and supervisors is another key to continuous improvement. The Ikigai Coach demonstrates openness and proactivity in gathering constructive feedback on their practice. They put in place regular evaluation measures with their clients to measure their satisfaction, progress, and improvement suggestions. They participate in peer supervision sessions, to confront their difficulties, share their successes, and benefit from external perspectives. They also seek feedback from experienced supervisors to deepen their understanding of the dynamics at work and identify their blind spots.
For example, an Ikigai Coach who usually ends their sessions with a satisfaction questionnaire may be struck by a recurring comment on their lack of flexibility in the structure of the sessions. By delving into the subject with their peers and supervisor, they will realize that they tend to cling to their session plan at the expense of adapting to the emerging needs of the client. Armed with this awareness, they will practice loosening their facilitation and improvising more from the client’s reactions.
Keeping a logbook is another valuable tool for nurturing the Ikigai Coach’s reflective practice. After each session, or weekly, they take the time to write down their observations, questions, realizations, and areas for improvement. This journal becomes a learning companion, allowing them to track their evolution over time, identify recurring threads, and capitalize on their achievements. It can also be a support for in-depth exchanges with peers or supervisors.
Imagine an Ikigai Coach who, reviewing their logbook, realizes that they tend to avoid silences and quickly chain questions when facing their clients’ emotion. By exploring this observation with their supervisor, they realize that this tendency is linked to their own difficulty in welcoming intense emotions. They then set the goal to work on their capacity to tolerate silence and to offer compassionate presence in emotionally charged moments.
Commitment to a continuous improvement process, with goals and professional development actions, is the keystone of reflective practice. The Ikigai Coach not only reflects on their practice, but draws concrete lessons from it and sets up strategies to make continuous progress. They set specific, measurable, and realistic development goals, related to the key competencies of Ikigai Coaching. They plan training, practice, and experimentation actions to achieve these goals, and commit to regular follow-ups on their progress.
For example, an Ikigai Coach who has identified a difficulty in accompanying clients in the implementation phase of their ikigai may set the goal of strengthening their skills in facilitating the move to action. To do this, they will enroll in a certified training on solution-oriented coaching techniques, they will build a library of practical tools, and they will practice using them in role plays with volunteer peers. After a few months, they will evaluate their progress by analyzing the action plans co-developed with their clients and their realization rate.
By cultivating such demanding and committed reflective practice, the Ikigai Coach anchors continuous improvement at the heart of their professional identity. They develop an ever-sharper acuity on the subtleties of their profession, and renewed creativity to adapt to the challenges of each accompaniment. Above all, they embody with integrity the values of learning, authenticity and self-improvement that are at the heart of Ikigai. By themselves journeying on the path to excellence, they inspire and guide their clients with ever greater accuracy and impact on their own road to meaningful accomplishment.
Key takeaways:
– Reflective practice and continuous improvement are essential to becoming an exceptional Ikigai Coach.
– Regular self-assessment allows to analyze one’s posture, interventions and their impacts after each session, questioning oneself with honesty and kindness.
– Proactive solicitation of feedbacks from clients, peers and supervisors provides constructive external perspectives to identify progress areas.
– Keeping a logbook helps to track your evolution, identify recurring threads and become aware of your blind spots or recurring difficulties.
– Commitment to a concrete professional development process, with specific goals and actions, is essential for continuous progress.
– By embodying learning, authenticity and self-improvement values themselves, the Ikigai Coach inspires their clients on their path to fulfillment.
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