Real learning comes from reflecting critically on the impact of your own practice
Self-reflection is more than a passive exercise, it’s a proactive approach to driving personal and professional growth. Involving critically examining various aspects of yourself and how you act, this blog uncovers the benefits of being critical in your reflective practice so that it not only benefits your growth in your personal life and professional career in the longer term, but also the way that your organisation gets things done.
What is self-reflection?
Self-reflection is the process of examining aspects of yourself in your day-to-day interactions with others, to assess whether or not our way of handling it was a good way, so we can aim to deal with it better next time. Ideally hand-written or recorded in a dedicated notebook or safe-digital-space (that’s private to you), it’s not only important for effective leadership and learning, but essential in everyday life, allowing individuals to evaluate their progress in leading themselves and others consciously (i.e. so that things don’t automatically keep happening/ causing harm).
When may I self-reflect?
Self-reflection is best done regularly, so should be seen as an integral part of developing your practice as a leader, ideally occurring daily, weekly, or monthly, whenever you see a need to capture what’s happened and how it’s made you or others feel. Instances where self-reflection is most likely to be beneficial, include:
- Assessing how you’ve performed after a formal review, test or exam.
- Understanding how a project could have been executed better.
- Reviewing how you could have responded better to a conflict at work or home.
- Recognising where skills/ behaviours could be worked up/ developed.
- After a moment of disagreement or tension to honour different perspectives
- After a team meeting, to appreciate how things/ ideas might have landed
Why is self-reflection important?
Self-reflection is such an essential aspect of successful leadership and self-progression that some professions (like Health and Care) require it as a mandatory process in remaining safe and compliant. Hence, being seen to engage in the practice of reflection frequently, can not only help individuals to make better decisions in-the-moment, it can also help with areas like:-
Evaluating career choices: Reflecting on past career decisions provides valuable insights into what has been successful and what hasn’t, shaping future career aspirations and strategies. For instance, this reflection might reveal the propensity for burnout or need for a more flexible work schedule to better manage work-life balance, or highlight personal blind spot areas where acquiring specific skills could lead to growth opportunities, such as a advancement or promotion. Here, introspection helps to guide the articulation of career goals and support individuals in making informed decisions for their professional growth.
Personal development: By reflecting on aspects of ones’ character, preferences, strengths and weaknesses, individuals can set more personalised goals for self-improvement and growth which can influence their personal and professional lives. For example, in terms of learning, reflecting on struggles with study could highlight the need to source specific support to enhance comprehension and retention. Similarly, on a professional level, reflection might highlight a need to develop new skills or seek out coaching or mentoring expertise to better align with future career advancement goals.
Building relationships: By critically reflecting on past interactions and behaviours, both in the workplace and at home, individuals can gain deeper insights into how their own actions end up influencing relationships (for better and worse). For example, there might be instances where better intervention in workplace challenges could have fostered greater innovation and change. Here introspection allows for a deeper understanding of the interpersonal dynamics at play, paving the way for more effective communication and collaboration in the future.
What activities encourage self-reflection?
The ability to be self-critical and engage in introspective reflection is a skill that requires time, practice and development. There are several effective methods for developing this skill such as journaling and reflective diary keeping which are made easier with the use of reflective frameworks. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that as humans, our perceptions may differ from those of others, potentially leading to biases in our self-reflection process. Recognising and addressing these biases through training and awareness can be helpful.
Critical Reflexivity Training
Critical reflexivity involves recognising how your own perspectives and assumptions about the world come to shape what happens in your organisation. Our Critical Reflexivity programme aims to harness this awareness within a business and leadership framework to assist you in seeing the impact of your leadership in different situations. By understanding how different viewpoints shape the dynamics within organisations, we can work together better to enhance interpersonal understanding of other’s viewpoints. It’s this critically reflexive approach that is at the heart of modern day Leadership Development because it empowers leaders to navigate complexities with greater empathy and strategic clarity.
Helpful resources
Our blog is full of useful resources tailored towards leaders and individuals looking to enhance their confidence in leading and guiding others through reflecting on practice.
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