Within the MSLOC program there is a significant focus on the value of reflection in terms of leadership and organizational development. Although I've been a "journaler" (one who journals) for most of my life, I've never considered myself a deeply reflective person; until recently. My next few posts will focus on the value of reflection, lessons I've learned from a variety of sources. Here's a brief tidbit to get us started with reflecting on reflection:
I think the ‘reflection’ part of your brain (if there is such a thing) must be like a muscle. The more you exercise it the stronger it gets. In my MSLOC program we’ve had many discussions about how to find time to reflect when we’re all so busy. We’ve talked about reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action (the latter being the ideal). Personally, I think we can all reach the ideal, eventually, if we just take baby steps; if we exercise our ‘reflection muscles.’
So perhaps try spending just one moment a day reflecting on a task, your performance or a thought; then maybe a few more moments, and then five minutes once a day, then five minutes several times a day…you get the point. I wonder if eventually, we couldn’t train our minds to reflect automatically; to basically do something - reflect, say something - reflect, think something – reflect. I think we can and I don’t know about you but the benefits of reflection, which we'll discuss in more detail, are such that I’m willing to give this little exercise a try.
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