Reflective Practice Primer

Definition of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is a thoughtful and deliberate activity where we pause to consider our experiences and actions with the goal of developing better ways of thinking and behaving. By examining our actions, beliefs, and emotions, and how they shape our choices, we can foster both personal and professional growth.

Reflective practice usually has three main steps. Although these seem linear, reflective practice is ongoing so try to consider this a circle.

Step back and think about what happened in our work with staff, colleagues, or others.
Make sense of the experience by identifying what we learned and capturing those insights.
Apply learning by creating a plan to use those insights to guide positive change.

There are many ways to do reflective practice. This short overview of what it is, why it matters, and how it works is just a starting point.

Two Types of Reflective Practice

We can reflect on our practice in two main ways: while an experience is happening or after the fact. This is also known as the “reflection in/on action” framework, which was originally developed by Donald Schön.

Reflection in-action means reflecting on our practice in the moment. One way to do this is by asking employees and interest-holders for feedback during a meeting, coaching session, or conversation. We can then use this information to shape current and future practice and build toward positive change. Here are some examples of questions you can use in your practice day-to-day:
- Did I address your concerns in this conversation?
- What worked/what didn’t in my approach?
- Did you feel that you had my full attention? If not, what could I have done differently?
- How can I better be of service to you in the future?
Reflection on-action means reflecting on our practice after the fact. This can include discussing our work with mentors or colleagues or maintaining a reflective journal to process our experiences. Through this approach, we come to understand and learn from experiences that may have been overlooked in the moment and build a basis for future action.

Benefits of Reflective Practice

You might be thinking: “Sounds nice, but I have a full workload as is! I don’t have time for reflective practice!” Research shows that the time you invest in this practice pays off in the long term.

Reflective practice helps us identify and appreciate positive experiences and identify ways to improve our leadership practice. It can also support us through more challenging experiences, helping to process and learn from them. Here are other benefits to reflective practice:

Deepen self-understanding
Increase our leadership effectiveness
Learn about ‘doing’ leadership by generating practice-based knowledge
Make leadership more person-centred
Increase job satisfaction
Process difficult interactions
Increase self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence
Strike work-life balance and avoid burnout and compassion fatigue
Lead to better employee and team outcomes

Getting Started

Using a model to structure your thinking can help you get the most out of your reflection. The “What?” (Driscoll, 1994) model is one of the simplest frameworks for reflection. Here, reflection is guided by three activities, as shown in the image: