I have become an OS21 Reflection Coach
Having spent recent times talking about the benefits of "reflection" at every opportunity, I have now successfully been certified as a Reflection Coach after completing the online training (9 sessions in total) and certification exam at the 21st Century Learning Institute (OS21)!
Realizing the effects of "experiential learning"
In 2020, I studied for the CDA (a career counselor qualification certified by the Japan Career Development Association/JCDA) to obtain my national career consultant qualification. At that time, the most emphasized concept was "experience metabolism" (keiken taisha).
Experience metabolism is,
The concept of experience metabolism is recursiveness. It can be expressed by the phrase "using experience as a mirror." "Using experience as a mirror" is an abbreviated expression. It means that "the experience recounted (by a person) can serve as a mirror for the narrator to observe (know) themselves." However, to use experience as a mirror and observe (know) oneself, conscious effort is required. That effort is reflection. Through reflection, one can know oneself through experience. In terms of human behavior, recursiveness is reflection. It can also be said that experience metabolism is a mechanism for reflection. Understanding experience metabolism means understanding the phrase "using experience as a mirror."
In other words,by looking back on their own concrete experiences, people can discover their own values and the image of their "ideal self" from within those experiences.The role of encouraging reflection is required of CDAs, who are career counselors..The role of encouraging reflection is required of CDAs, who are career counselors.
As a "Reflection Coach"
So, since the JCDA also values reflection, and Mika Kumahira, who has been spreading the concept of reflection in Japan, has always emphasized the importance of reflection, our goals are the same.
On the other hand, the learning required to become a CDA career counselor is also learning to obtain and maintain the national career consultant qualification, so there is much to learn beyond the base of reflection.
What made me recognize the importance of reflection once again was encountering this book, "Reflection," by Ms. Kumahira.
Learning the "techniques of reflection to accelerate the growth of yourself and your team," which is also the subtitle of this book, is what the OS21 Reflection Coach course we took is all about.
The "techniques of reflection to accelerate the growth of yourself and your team" are, literally,"techniques", so they are generally reproducible and can be mastered by anyone. That said, it still requires further practice to fully install this within oneself and reflect as naturally as breathing.
The connections I made with the people who took this online training with me were also a very significant byproduct. The two people in my group were a person in their 50s from Hokkaido and a person in their 20s to early 30s from the Tokyo metropolitan area. Of course, we were meeting for the first time and still have not met in person, but because we were members who practiced together through dialogue using the reflection framework, we were able to build a rare relationship where we could ask and be asked questions while ensuring psychological safety. We plan to continue our dialogue online on our own in the future.
As a Reflection Coach × Career Consultant
While I strongly empathize with this concept of reflection, as someone who is studying various career theories, I do not believe that just by mastering reflection, people will be able to pursue a career they are satisfied with.
Therefore, by combining Reflection Coach and Career Consultant, I would like to be a source of support for people living in local regions to pursue their careers with full conviction.