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Reflective Practice: A Path to Personal and Organizational Growth
As a project coach, change manager, and consultant, I’ve long embraced the power of reflective practice as a foundation for leadership. A key aspect of this is constantly asking ourselves the right questions to assess the environment we create for others to succeed. These aren’t just superficial questions – they help us dig deeper into the culture and dynamics within our teams and organizations.
Consider the following questions:
* Do I know what is expected of me at work?
* Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my job well?
* Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
* In the last week, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
* Does someone at work encourage my development?
* At work, do my opinions count?
These simple questions guide the way we think about leadership, performance, and culture. However, after reading Marshall Goldsmith’s *Triggers*, I came to realize that these questions could be even more powerful if framed as active, reflective tasks. This shift from passive inquiry to personal engagement, ownership, and accountability transforms the way we approach self-improvement and leadership.
Here’s how these questions look when reframed as active reflections:
* What have I tried today to understand what is expected of me at work?
* What have I tried today to ensure I have the materials and equipment I need to do my job right?
* What have I tried today to create opportunities to do what I do best?
* What have I tried today to seek recognition or praise for doing good work?
* What have I tried today to encourage my own development?
* What have I tried today to make sure my opinions are heard at work?
At first glance, this shift is egocentric. It focuses on *my* actions, choices, and behaviors. Reflective practice, at its core, encourages introspection – a look back at personal performance to identify areas for growth and improvement. And there’s great value in this: leadership begins with understanding ourselves, our motivations, and our actions. If we want to change the world around us, we must first change ourselves.
But reflective practice, in its truest form, goes beyond just individual self-reflection. As we ask these reflective questions, we must also acknowledge that we are not isolated in a vacuum. We exist within systems, cultures, and complex networks of behaviors. We are influenced by both nature and nurture, as well as the circumstances surrounding us. And within these systems, our capacity for true agency can sometimes feel limited.
As the saying goes, *”If you put good people in a bad system, the system always wins.”* This highlights the complexity of human behavior within organizations and teams. It’s not just about the actions we take as individuals; it’s also about the broader system that shapes our behaviors and decisions. Leaders must recognize this dynamic and take it into account when making decisions, fostering development, and driving change.
Therefore, another layer of reflective practice involves stepping outside the individual and looking at the system itself. What are the interrelationships, dependencies, and behaviors that define the culture of our team or organization? What unconscious and subconscious patterns are at play? How do customs, habits, rituals, and narratives shape the way we work together?
Reflective practice isn’t just about looking inward. It’s about understanding the wider context in which we operate. Only by reflecting on both ourselves and the systems we are part of can we truly drive meaningful, lasting change.
Top Tips for Effective Reflective Practice:
1. Frame Reflective Questions Actively: Move beyond passive inquiry to active self-engagement. Ask yourself what you’ve done today to create the conditions for success.
2. Understand the System: Reflect on how the systems and structures around you influence behavior, both yours and others’.
3. Acknowledge Cultural Patterns: Consider the customs, rituals, and unconscious behaviors that shape the team dynamics and decision-making.
4. Promote Self-Accountability: Own your role in creating positive change, while understanding the limitations that come from being embedded in a larger system.
Self-Evaluation Checklist:
* Have I actively engaged with the system around me, not just my personal role?
* Have I sought to understand the unconscious behaviors that impact team dynamics?
* Am I creating opportunities for others to thrive, as well as reflecting on my own opportunities?
* Do I understand the broader context that influences my decisions and actions?
Reflective practice is both a personal and collective endeavor. By embracing both introspection and a broader systems perspective, we can grow as leaders and drive positive change within our organizations. What systems are influencing your behavior today, and what can you do to reshape them for greater success?
