Reflective entry

I think that this week’s assignment was helpful, it made us realize that we don’t have a balance in our day to day activities. This exercise was also a good way to share my way of living and my activities with my colleagues. In fact, each member of the group felt more comfortable to ask specific questions and to intervene in a more active way. I personally felt more at ease and this made me share more information and listen actively to what is being said so I can be able to ask the right questions.

During the coaching exercise we have noticed that we have some points in common, for example two of the member’s group mentioned that they  have trouble saying ‘No’ to people because they don’t want to disappoint their families and friends, we also talked about the ‘Facebook addiction’ and how it can become a stress related activity. I can definitely say that stress was a major point in our conversation, we felt that we are under a lot of pressure (studies, social life, etc.) and that sometimes this can have a negative effect on our health and our relation with people. 

I feel like I have gone through some changes and I mean it in a positive way. During the first coaching exercise I kept thinking on what I should talk about and I was saying to myself ‘Ok, you mustn’t forget about the five key processes of a coaching conversation, they are the key to a good coaching experience’. But this time, I felt that it came pretty naturally (sometimes I didn’t even plan to ask a question or feel that I am interrupting the person who is talking) and that was the case for the three of us because the communication was going smoothly and effectively. 

We were really excited about sharing the results that came from the life-balance form and talk about it. As a coachee I had to talk about my form and explain in more details why I prioritize some activities and neglect others, I also talked about the things that I should improve on and my team members helped me realize what I need to work on and gave me some great advice. As a coach I got the opportunity to listen carefully to what the coachee was saying so I can ask effective questions. As an observer, I made sure that the coach was following the steps of the five key processes of a coaching conversation.

In sum, the life-balance form made us look at things differently, it made us realize that we have neglected some important aspects of our life, more importantly it helped us think about our real motivations and priorities. The three of us showed a lot of interest and compassion toward what was being said and we have tried our best to give advice that will be helpful and effective. I personally committed to work on my social life and do not focus only on my studies.