The Power of Reflection

I posted recently on LinkedIn regarding the importance of taking time for reflection, which in theory sounds relatively easy, but in practice can be quite challenging.

Why?

Because it forces us to face into situations where we as individuals critique our own behaviours, leadership style and actions.  We are evaluating these against expectations of ourselves, of an organisation, of society etc.

It can be uncomfortable, but on a positive level, it enables us to see things more clearly and make adjustments in the future that make us more effective.

Where do you best reflect?

Through reflection we can:

1.      Learn from past experiences.

2.      Take a step back from the day-to-day operations for deeper strategic thinking.

3.      Encourage a culture of continuous improvement by empowering others to identify areas for growth and find solutions to challenges.

It is a continuous process that takes time and effort to build the muscle; not dissimilar to being in the gym. It’s the reps that make you stronger and more capable, done consistently over time!

So how do we fit in time for this when life is already so busy? 

Time for reflection in my opinion, is paid for work. Whilst being busy and ‘doing’ can seem like a priority, it is the reflective work that shapes agendas, finds solutions to problems, creates strategies, generates new ideas and re-energises teams.