Reflection isn’t something that everyone thinks of when reviewing their business, work or personal life, but reflection can help us achieve more because we can look at things differently and stop making the same mistakes.
Some people think reflection means looking in the mirror or just thinking about ourselves and our behaviours, but it can be looked at in many different ways.
Imagine this. You have been to several interviews but aren’t getting the job.
This could be due to a lack of knowledge and skills, lack of experience, the wrong attitude or just the fact that you wouldn’t fit into the team or the company. Of course, it might also be because you were beaten by someone else who had more to offer than you.
But it could just be a simple error that caused the problem.
For example, some people don’t complete the application form correctly, leave parts out, or make many spelling mistakes.
You might not make an impression at the interview because you don’t have the interview skills. Perhaps you need to work on your social skills, or maybe there is something getting in the way, like blushing.
You might have said the wrong thing that is rude or discriminatory without realising it. But by remembering the reactions from the interview panel, you may not realise what you said wasn’t appropriate.
So many things may contribute to you not achieving your dream of getting that job. The list could go on, but what can you do in this situation or any other where you want to achieve something?
One way is to reflect on your performance or what you said, felt or did. This will help you make changes for the future.
Self-reflection is considered valuable in talking therapies such as counselling, psychotherapy and psychology, so therapists will have a supervisor to discuss and reflect on cases and personal feelings. This helps them to improve their practice.
But reflection is also valuable for everyone wanting to achieve something.
I would like to show you how you can reflect in a systematic way to get the most from this process. I base this framework on Mezirow’s (1981) six levels of reflection, but there are other models that can also help.
Reflectivity
When you reflect on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, you help yourself to become aware of the situation. It’s almost like you are an observer of the issue and can then describe what was happening. So you ask yourself, what happened?
Affective reflecting
This is an awareness of your feelings during the event.
So you ask yourself, how was I feeling?
If you were reflecting on an interview, you might have noticed how nervous you felt. You may also have felt your heartbeat racing or noticed sweaty hands. This would tell you that you were feeling the pressure and were stressed and anxious about the interview.
Knowing how you are feeling allows you to change.
Discriminate reflectivity
This reflection includes a reflection on your decision-making.
Did you decide to do the right things in the right order? Did you make the right choices, say with your examples of previous experiences at the interview?
On reflection, you might now realise that the job wasn’t for you as you didn’t like the hours, etc.
Judgemental reflectivity
Sometimes we need to become aware of value judgements.
You might think about the things you said. Did those words have strong values and beliefs?
You could consider the things that the other people said. Were they positive or negative? Did they fit with your core values and beliefs?
You might even consider now what are the essentials you must get from the job.
Conceptual reflectivity
This is more about what you have learnt from the experience and what more do you need to learn. For example, in this example of an interview, you might realise that you must investigate the business more thoroughly before going for the interview.
Conceptual reflection is about thinking things out and making logical conclusions.
Theoretical reflectivity
By reflecting in this way, you can consider any theories related to the situation and assess any routines or things you took for granted. In a job interview, you might need to consider processes related to the actual job or the interview.
Maybe your practice isn’t what they are looking for.
Theoretical reflection on a situation such as an interview may mean you need to change your perspective.
So with some job interviews, you may need to have a more customer-focused approach.
Another example is in report writing; you may need to follow previous formats.
Reflection needs time
You can reflect while doing something or after you have done something, but it always needs time to think and feel things out. You are doing a personal assessment.
Getting into a frame of mind where you regularly reflect on your work or personal areas will help you achieve more because you will become much more aware of what needs to change.
Finally
If you need to reflect on something in the past or present or preparation for the future, counselling can help because you are in a private space when you are given that protective time to work things out. You will be listened to and helped to learn from past experiences and focus positively on the future.
I provide a way to help you reflect through counselling, coaching and hypnotherapy in my business, Awaken the Change. Find out more by visiting my website and booking a free initial consultation.
With kind regards
Linda
