The importance and challenges of reflection

With so much going on in and around us, the necessity of stepping back, reflecting and making sense of what is happening is clear. However, there are so many potential blocks, that even if we do make regular time for it, the likelihood is something will get in the way. So, what can we do to be more effective at taking that step back?

This is not a ‘top tips’ article and I’ll explain why shortly.

 As practitioners, whether that’s HR business partners, L&D facilitators or OD consultants, the necessity of being able to step back and reflect is clear. To be a reflective practitioner is, after all, how professionals learn, according to Donald Schon at least. In order to be truly helpful to our clients, we need to be able to process the data we receive and make sense of it in a way that allows us to choose to act or not, and if so, how. Of course, reflection is a useful habit for leaders as well as specialist people practitioners, but we are often processing data that sits more in the covert or hidden spaces in organisations. There may be multiple ways of making sense of the often partial and ambiguous information, so regular critical reflection gives us an opportunity to see a picture as it emerges. This is why being a practitioner in the helping functions of an organisation is more of an art than a science.

 So, what types of data are we processing, and what can get in the way?

 I tend to work with a number of different sources, such as Edgar Schein (anything on process consulting) or Bob Marshak (Covert Processes in Organisations), to understand the sorts of data that are available when working with a client, whether that’s a whole organisation, a group or an individual. The data we formally collect, and the information that is below the waterline can be very different, and it is usually the hidden aspects that are the things that need the most attention. This could be the polite meetings where no-one says what they really mean or the overtly collegiate and collaborative organisation where unhelpful politics is rife.

 I have worked with lots of different organisations where HR metrics are king and the covert process are either ignored, or not even noticed in any conscious way. In my experience, this comes back to being a conscious practitioner and the idea of ‘self as instrument’ or our ability to understand how we uniquely influence the systems we operate within. What is it that can block us from reflecting effectively and using ourselves as part of our tool kit?

 Not having done personal work: Of course, it is up to each individual to decide how deep that personal work goes, but without some kind of self-awareness that goes beyond just knowing our psychometric preferences then the likelihood is that some of our emotional defense mechanisms will be triggered outside our awareness. When we start to become aware of the hidden processes in organisations, we need to make sure that we can at least spot the signs of our own hidden processes and have the means to deal with them.

 A typical scenario is of control as a defense against anxiety. This might manifest as a need for detail or having overly exacting standards. If your organisation is going through big changes and there are high expectations of the HR or OD team, then anxiety is a strong possibility and a reasonable response. If you have done some personal work, and can recognise the signs, then there is a chance to reflect on the root of that anxiety and manage it appropriately. Otherwise it may go unchecked and influence how you show up. This might mean driving your team too hard or becoming too ‘procedural’ when dealing with leaders. This is where peer supervision can be extremely helpful. Not only does it create and legitimise a time for reflection, it can support ongoing sense-making in the ambiguity, emergence and complexity that is a modern organistion.

Lack of resilience: Even those who have done lots of personal work can become overwhelmed and let things we know about play out for longer than they should. When workloads are unsustainably high, or life outside of work adds its pressures, the self-care strategies that we know about can fall by the wayside. That includes time out to reflect, notice, make sense and act to ‘course correct’.  That is when such things as imposter syndrome can raise its head and we don’t challenge an unhelpful behaviour in a senior leader. Or, perhaps we fail to notice the undercurrent of powerlessness and resentment in the wake of a restructure. We might see setting time aside to reflect as not proper work, having too much to do.  As a helping professional, whilst it might seem like a trite phrase, you really do need to ‘fit your own oxygen mask first, before helping others.’

 Mind set or perspective: This is probably the hardest and most transformational one to address. Mind sets are like a lens through which you look at the world: you can either look through it or at it, and once you see that it is just a lens, not ‘the truth’. That is when you can’t ignore the fact we are all looking through our own lenses, and the world is never quite the same again. This is where supervision, peer or otherwise can be invaluable. When we start to critically reflect and question our assumptions, we start to see the world differently, able to take different perspectives that can unlock our ability to problem solve. We also start to see the assumptions others are making too and can more effectively challenge the thinking or beliefs that may be keeping them stuck.

 However, that critical reflection can be uncomfortable, especially if we are operating from a mindset that may not want to uncover what lies beneath. The most common mind set I see in organisations, but particularly in HR business partners and some OD practitioners is that of Expert. This is often characterised by:

·  Differentiating self from others through knowledge and being ‘right’

·  See effectiveness as about having the right tools, techniques or processes

·  Are starting to be able to introspect, but not true reflection yet

·  Identify self with behaviour so criticism often taken to heart

·  Tendency to be highly rational and intellectualise problems

·  Can feel threatened by uncertainty or ambiguity

·  Overly self-critical leading to being harsh with others too at times

·  Knowledge is power and may find it hard to let go of being hands on, or knowing how everything works

Or, less common but still prevalent Achievers:

·  More self-contained emotionally and welcomes feedback…if it helps them achieve a goal

·   Starting to explore own assumptions, emotions or defence mechanisms

·   Curious about what makes them, and others tick

·   Actively welcoming learning, but still ‘about’ a topic

·   Able to get to grips with medium term tactics and strategies

·   More concerned with outcomes rather than detail

·   More able to delegate

·   Can be hugely driven and focused leading to over-work

·   Rationality and drive can lead to over reliance on facts and working ‘hard enough’ to discover ‘the answer’

Those still predominantly in Expert mind set will have been scanning this post for the ‘top tips’. Sorry to disappoint, but working effectively in the hidden, often emotional layers of personal or organisational change, doesn’t really lend itself to the quick fix I’m afraid.

There is no substitute for some deep personal work here. In the language of John Mezirow, what often precipitates transformational learning is a ‘disorienting dilemma’. That is a close look at our assumptions; how we see ourselves, the world and ourselves in that world and it can all change fundamentally. Whilst it may seem daunting, the reward is a more holistic perspective; an ability to pay attention to more than just facts i.e. context, feelings and intuitions as well as being aware that meaning is socially constructed; much more comfort with ambiguity and tension of ‘both/and’ as well as a more secure, independent sense of self-esteem. Our mind set can block us from truly reflecting, but if we can weather the disorienting dilemmas and really examine some of our core assumptions, then our effectiveness as practitioners can expand dramatically.

So, how can we be more effective as reflective practitioners?

· Commit to our own personal, not just professional development

·  Make the time to nurture and care for ourselves as a habit, not just a nice to have

·  Legitimise time spent with peers to critically reflect, providing both support and challenge to each other

·  Take the plunge, work with someone who can support you through a truly transformational learning experience.