Taking a break is an opportune time to reflect, however healthy practice is reflecting on a regular basis, often even daily. According to Oxford Brookes University the definition of the type of reflection we are addressing here is;
Reflection is looking back on past experiences and analysing them to learn.
Not to be confused with the physics version of the reflection of light and the refraction process.
So how did this way of internal and external insight originate? I checked in with ChatGPT which summarised succinctly with;
‘In short, the practice of reflection has deep historical roots, dating back to ancient times in both Western and Eastern traditions. Over time, it has evolved from philosophical inquiry to a critical tool in personal development, education, and professional growth.’
I kept reading, dug a little deeper and found the history of reflection started with the Ancient Greeks in fact, Socrates has a method named after him called The Socratic Method which encourages individuals to reflect on their beliefs, values, and actions to achieve greater self-awareness and wisdom. He famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Then from Ancient China, in Confucian philosophy, reflection played a key role in personal growth and morality to better align with moral principles and social harmony. This greatly resonates with me.
How many of us genuinely examine our morals and whether our actions reflect them?
We also see reflective practices during the Middle Ages with Christian thinkers like St. Augustine who promoted reflective practices in the context of spiritual development. Moving on to the Renaissance, the likes of Michel de Montaigne contributed significantly to the development of reflective practice through his work on essays, in which he explored personal experiences, emotions, and ideas. The art of reflection has been around literally thousands of years. Now, reflection is encouraged with most students and many employees.
Companies with effective mentoring programmes will naturally be encouraging their people to reflect as it is an inherent feature of the mentoring process and covered extensively in training for both mentors as well as mentees.
How do we know if we are reflecting in the right way and what if we don’t recognise any benefits?
Initially, reflecting may feel ‘silly’. I admit to originally feeling it was a waste of time probably because I am always in a rush. Now I take it seriously, as an important part of how I operate and interact plus I find it enjoyable, cathartic even. Reflecting on certain conversations has led me to revisit them, adding points I feel I may have missed or misrepresented as well as on one occasion, an apology.
There isn’t really a right or wrong way to reflect. It’s a very individual and personal fit. There are many methods such as:
- Thinking
- Meditating
- Writing/ journaling
- Blogging and Vlogging
- Listening to a recording of yourself in a meeting
- Discussion
- Mentoring
- Supervision
According to Psychology Today, reflection is an essential step to self-improvement. However, if you feel that perhaps nothing is working or you’re unsure then seek feedback from a guided reflection session or further research into the topic.
Three of my favourite reflection questions – I tend to focus on my manner and approach
- How am I coming across and how can I adapt to gain improved engagement?
- Am I approaching this in the right way? (This can be applied to relationships, projects, goals)
- Can I put any further effort into this for a different result?
There are so many others and questions will vary greatly from person to person according to our individual levels of self-criticism or acclaim. A great question is to ask ourselves is if this is in balance! The purpose of reflection is not to focus on either of these and self-criticism or acclaim should not be the driver of this practice. It’s about learning to change and improve, to better understand.
A wonderful example of this is the story of a rising star in a company that was acquired. The department in which she worked was merged with a similar one within the acquiring company where she found herself with a larger, mainly unknown team reporting to a new manager. She became frustrated with the change in leadership and protocols which resulted in her poor performance and a defiant attitude. She laid blame on the new company and colleagues. Her new manager directed her to the company mentoring initiative to which she signed up and was paired with a manager from another department. The reflection work in her mentoring led her to a lightbulb moment realising that it was her reaction to the change of environment and it being outside her control. It wasn’t them; it was her and from there with her mentor she was able to change her approach.
Mentoring leads to happy, productive workforces if they are structured and supported with necessary resources allocated to it. Head to the Association of Business Mentors website for further tips and information, a short course or just book in a call with me for a chat!
