Hey there, fellow Learning and Development enthusiasts! Have you ever felt like there were just not enough hours in the day to do everything you’d like to achieve? I bet that in the whirlwind of your busy work schedule, one critical aspect often falls by the wayside. Let me introduce you to our friend, Reflective Practice.
Yes, we get it! In our world of eLearning design, instructional strategies, talent management, and career development, we barely have time to catch a breath, let alone reflect on our work. But today, let’s pause the whirlwind and delve into why reflective practice is a game-changer, why we don’t do it as much as we should, and how we can effortlessly incorporate it into our lives.
The Power of Reflection
First off, let’s dig into the value that reflective practice can bring to your professional life. When we pause to reflect, we begin to discern patterns that help us identify various opportunities, not just those tied to instruction. For example, you might notice a recurrent challenge that learners face, leading you to create a new solution that not only eases their learning journey but also makes your teaching more effective.
We can also start to learn from our experiences. Every mistake or sub-optimal experience is an opportunity to learn and improve. Time spent on reflection is time saved on re-doing.
On a personal level, it can help us direct our energy toward the most significant impact. Consistent reflection allows us to avoid being busy the whole day but achieving nothing.
Moreover, for those of us in adult learning, reflection is crucial. We need to provide plenty of opportunities for learners to reflect critically, creating space and time to understand how their learning aligns with their professional goals. By doing so, we can better tailor our teaching to meet their unique needs.
Why Reflective Practice is Neglected
You might ask, “If reflection is so great, why aren’t we doing more of it?” Good question! The answer lies in the rapid pace of our daily lives. We’re busy delivering courses, meeting targets, and navigating organisational politics. It’s easy to see reflective practice as another task to fit into an already crammed schedule. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Reflection can ultimately save us time and expense by improving our work processes.
How to Incorporate Reflective Practice
Are you sold on the benefits of reflective practice? Great! Now comes the ‘how’. You don’t have to carve out an entire day in your schedule for it. A mere five or ten minutes each week can do wonders.
One of the significant benefits of reflection is that it enhances our self-awareness, a key component of emotional intelligence. This, in turn, leads to a better understanding of others and aids in developing creative thinking skills. The beauty of reflection lies in its flexibility. It could be a quick meditation at the end of the day, jotting down thoughts in a journal, or having a discussion with colleagues about a recent project.
But remember, consistency is key! A tiny pebble dropped in the water regularly can create ripples across an entire pond. Similarly, consistent reflective practice can improve your attitude, comfort-levels and deepen your professional values. Plus, it enhances acceptance of feedback and allows for better integration of learning.
So, fellow professionals, let’s pledge to stop fighting the clock and start making time for reflective practice. It’s not just about doing more; it’s about doing better. It’s about stepping back, evaluating, learning, and growing. After all, aren’t we, as learning and development professionals, all about learning?
- Find a time and place that works for you. Some people like to reflect first thing in the morning, while others prefer to do it at the end of the day. Experiment until you find a time when you can be free from distractions and give yourself some uninterrupted time to think.
- Start with a simple question. When you’re first starting out, it can be helpful to start with a simple question, such as “What went well today?” or “What could I have done better?” As you get more comfortable with reflective practice, you can start to ask more challenging questions, such as “What are my strengths and weaknesses as a learning and development professional?” or “What are my goals for the future?”
- Be honest with yourself. The whole point of reflective practice is to learn and grow. So it’s important to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, your successes and failures. The more honest you are, the more you’ll be able to learn from your experiences.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling with reflective practice, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a colleague, friend, or mentor. They can offer you guidance and support as you develop this important skill.
I hope these tips help you get started with reflective practice. It’s a skill that will benefit you both personally and professionally.
In the words of Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So, let’s examine, reflect, and make our professional lives truly worth living!
Now, go out there and reflect like never before!