What is
reflection?
Most of us would probably
think of ‘what we see
when we look in a mirror’ as the answer to this question. The Oxford Dictionary does indeed have a
definition very similar to that, but also includes ‘serious thought or consideration’.
This suggests something which is more than what we see or think about on the surface, and many writers believe that deeper, more thoughtful reflection is the key to Reflective Practice.
Effective learning situations require time
for thinking. Students should also reflect on themselves as learners when they
evaluate the thinking processes they used to determine which strategies worked
best. you can then apply that
information about how you learn as you approach learning in the future.
What is Reflective
Practice?
Reflective Practice is a concept which has been extensively used in education for some time. As with reflection, there are several models of Reflective Practice which vary from writer to writer, and organisation to organisation.
“Reflective practice is viewed as a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development. put in a simple way “a dialogue of thinking and doing through which I become more skilful. (Schön 1991).
Reflective practice involves
thoughtfully considering one’s own experiences in applying theory to practice.
When writing this post i started to ask myself questions about the following: my teaching routine,
my everyday teaching practices and went onto ask myself questions about what
really does and doesn’t work.
On reflection What is the One thing you are going to change about
yourself or your Leadership practice. post your comments here
One of many things I am going to change is to allow time in decision making. I pride myself on acting quickly and correctly in a facilities situation when a fault hinders an event. I can see now I use the same approach in meetings, projects, task management etc. Reflection is not a strong point with me, I fix, repair, sort out and then move on. The SWOT I received back tells me the same thing, take time, allow time and give others time to answer. To make this change I have set about a SMART plan. By the time the assignment is handed in I will a have a guide as to how successful this plan is or was.
ReplyDeleteTrevor you are reflecting and its something that you need to practice before it becomes a "norm" in your behaviour. You are doing really well and I think you are definately on your journey in terms of enhancing your EQ and engaging in critical thinking and reflective practice. Well Done.
DeleteIn this day and age I believe reflective practice is invaluable. In my case this means not feeling obliged to fill any voids at meetings - listen and reflect instead of immediate response!
ReplyDeleteA good strategy Trevor I will look forward to reading your assignment. I definately think you have started your EI Journey well done.
ReplyDeleteReflective thinking is not so much about something I need to introduce to my leadership behaviours but moreover develop further.I arrived in my current role to an environment that contained colleagues that had no vision of what we were trying to achieve,it was just a job to many of them in an environment of 'fire-fighting'.There was no development path made available to them,there was nobody to inform them our challenges would be indeed challenging and not fixed overnight.My reflective time allows me to take quiet time to consider how I will 'paint a picture' to colleagues that they will engage and connect with.It works.It creates a more vibrant environment.There is no 'them and us',unions are on board and collectively the atmosphere is one of can do.Reflecting on how I have handled or have presented in a given situation is vital to developing this element of leadership.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to read these posts is a reflective opportunity because sometimes the learning is in actually seeing how other aspiring leaders can be honest and transparent which I value very highly as a leader. I have never undervalued the importance of looking back on how I may have done things differently. I would see myself as being quite a head strong person who doesn't like to get things wrong, moving forward I will now put greater emphasis on my mistakes being my greatest window to mature.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I made an effort to go and buy a small notebook as Janette had recommended so to make notes about any thoughts I might have while reflecting on things that had happened throughout the working day.
ReplyDeleteThis morning while I was travelling to Liverpool I decided to start to write my reflective thoughts regarding a number of items that had happened the previous day and other concerns I had that morning.
Now usually I'm not one for looking backwards or to take time to consider what has happened in the past but I watched a video interview from Dr. Liz Mellon and a 'eureka' moment happened. She spoke of how we as leaders are simply on 'watch' for this period of time within our organisations and therefore we should not be simply trying to make a name for ourselves in the here and now but that it is imperative that we consider the past, deal with the present and look to the future. We should be (on our watch) doing the best within the business so that the baton can be handed on at one stage in the future.
As a HR Manager I am definatley going to use this theory when developing other managers. Succession planning is something which although our organisation sees as important, very few are keen / willing to do this as they see it as some sort of threat to their own 'position'.
I would recommend the Thinks50 website especially the video collections - very easy to watch and I definatley seem to learn more effectively by visual methods.
Recent one here folks - I was leaving work today in a rush as always to meet my wife, car share friends, and get home to pick my son up from creche ( need to give myself more time to do this instead of rushing).
ReplyDeleteMy boss asked if I had a minute and instead of saying no, I have to go (she would of been fine with this) I went in for a quick chat. What we we discussed was important and took 10 minutes which meant I had to leave in a bigger rush and actually felt stressed.
On reflection it was my responsibility to let her know that I really had to go and could the conversation wait until tomorrow
A very good observation Stevie my question is how are you going to behave next time you are faced with the same situation?? Think it through, refelect on it and then make a plan rather that have to think on your feet the next time you face this situation.
DeleteFirst signs suggest I'm not 'warm' enough,nor am I 'tough' enough,though scoring well otherwise on Adairs 7 qualities of leadership.
ReplyDeleteOnly 1 of 10 issued handed back thus far.Friday deadline!
Ive had more responses from colleagues.Interesting reflections for me whilst reading Goleman and tying in some of my swot feedack to that.He suggests that in relation to retail in particular, it is the managers who create the emotional climate that in turn drives the moods of 'salespeople' and ultimately their performance,'when managers themselves are peppy,confident and optimistic,their moods rubbed off on the staff,'he suggests.So that will drive me to examine my lower scoring leadership qualities.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of self directed learning though;his 'poached frog' analogy both made me laugh but reflect that their are some similarities to where I have been in the past couple of years and what I must do.'The fate of the poached frog isn't unlike that of some leaders who settle into routine...'
I believe I've already begun work on changing that.
Absolutely Brian and Im really glad that you are finding the blog a useful tool to allow you time to develop your reflective practice further.
ReplyDeleteFor me, reflective thinking is extremely important - thinking about what we did last academic year, its impact on our customers and what can be done to improve the service for the next academic year. As both an appraisee and an appraiser, I now appreciate the need for formal review both at the end of the year and periodically throughout the year (via regular team meetings, 6 monthly reviews and monthly meetings with my own line manager). The preparation for these meetings forces one to self-reflect, to think about what has gone well, what has not worked, what can be done about it and what targets still need to be achieved. On a more personal level, as I have been with the University for so long and have held a wide range of posts in that time, a SWOT analysis will be really useful. It should help me pinpoint the areas I need to develop but the reflective process itself will assist me to identify the skills and abilities I already have, including those that I have long since forgotten about.
ReplyDeleteI can see know how after receiving my swot notes from colleagues, I need to make my SMART plan more detailled. Strange how one person had the same comment in the weakness box and the opportunity box. Being new to the org means I am "Not always aware of history / sensitivities in organisation." this was a weakness,meaning I could upset someone with change yet, "Not always aware of history / sensitivities in organisation" was also a strength, in that I could bring in change without preconceptions. Two good points nad yet they come from different angles. Before I would have ignored resistance to change, but now I am learning about relection, taking time out and really thinking about a matter.
ReplyDeleteReflective practice is an important exercise for me, as am dealing with clients with dementia. We have to provide personal centred care and without reflecting on work day to day care we can't be able to provide that care. Also as a leader to improve my leadership skill I have to reflect on my input in the organisation, the staff and the clients as well.
ReplyDeleteSelf reflective practice is one of the core skills addressed in Social work training. I have realised how complacent I have become since I became a manager. Goleman talks of how through complacency, "mediocrity is tolerated". While I am a "reflector" in learning style, I have realised that while I thought I was spending good thinking time 'reflecting' on my practice I now see that I have got into bad habits and that all I was actually doing was ruminating and rationalising, ultimately just worrying. Just about all the leadership material I have read talks of the need for a really positive mental outlook and I realise that I have been wasting time indulging in negative thinking time. I am now trying to consciously take regular opportunities to reflect on situations, problems, people etc in a learning and positive way. I can see that as Jim Collins says "discipline" is key and that by working hard to keep reflective practice as a non-negotiable part of the working day, I will be better able to keep a positive focus and continue to learn.
ReplyDelete