With the 2011 year quickly coming to an end, I thought I’d reflect about reflection. Reflection with a specific intention to build personal insights.
Let’s start off by considering goals. Specifically, consider which goals you created during the 2011 year. As you reflect back on these goals, assess their outcomes. 
If you accomplished your goals successfully, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. If you have goals that remain unfulfilled, ask yourself if they’re still relevant and a priority? On your incomplete goals, what have you achieved to date? Which other angels or options have you not yet thought about which may be beneficial?
If you have unfinished goals which were high priorities, let’s consider any potential obstacles. What didn’t work? Is there someone you could ask for help in achieving that goal? Now, take a moment to imagine you are fully confident in your abilities associated with that goal; now, what is the first thing you would do?
Change topics – what did you learn in 2011? There is a difference between acquiring knowledge and situations where you applied knowledge. Does anything special come to mind? Perhaps as a leader, you read a book that created immense insight on a particular problem or work situation? What useful knowledge did you apply, and what new skills did you develop? If you acquired some great knowledge but have yet to apply it, is there an opportunity still looming?
Maybe you attended a learning intervention? Did the program provide a positive learning experience? Ask yourself, “Was there real individual value?”What value did you drive for your organization? Perhaps it was a behavior changes that occurred. If you applied new skills and behaviors to your job, are you able to identify and quantify the positive business impact?
Next, what personal preference insights do you have about yourself? At the core, who are you? I like to consider this as your personal operating manual. Perhaps you learned about specific ways you communicate? Perhaps you gained personal awareness about your decision making preferences? Maybe you explored conflict or some unintentional personal preferences or actions that have a tendency to contribute to conflict? I always consider the Johari Window when I ponder learning and any blind spots. If you didn’t gain any new personal insights, perhaps you are interested in exploring with an MBTI® assessment?
Taking a moment to reflect is important. Too often we are caught up in the “go” mode. It has been noted that individual ideas stem from being inspired, and a powerful way to become inspired is taking the time to reflect. Taking time for reflection and ideas also pertains to individual, team and organizational creativity, which leads to innovation.
I have asked a lot of questions. Now I will share some of my advice. Goal setting is an important part of goal attainment. Goals can be personal or professional, or perhaps a combination. There are all kinds of advice and tool kits on goal setting, but my advice is to keep them simple and SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time based.)
If you have difficulties creating goals and holding yourself accountable, as well as find that stagnation and frustration occur, I recommend a life or a career coach. You can review my Web site to learn more about what coaching is and the benefits.
As a life-long learner, I am a self-directed learner and passionate about supporting others with learning. As an HR and learning and development professional, I strive to always consider and apply learning and measure its impact. A good starting point for considering the value is the Kirkpatrick ROI levels of learning.
Awareness of your personal preferences provides awareness of self, and it also provides richness around tolerance of differences. As a psychometric practitioner, I love supporting individuals as they explore themselves. There are many benefits to individual and team insights.
In closure, I have provided some quotes for reflection:
“And time for reflection with colleagues is for me a lifesaver; it is not just a nice thing to do if you have the time. It is the only way you can survive.” ~Margaret Wheatley
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” ~Confucius
“Everyone and everything that shows up in our life is a reflection of something that is happening inside of us.” ~Alan Cohen
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” ~Peter Drucker
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ~Carl Jung
If you accomplished your goals successfully, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. If you have goals that remain unfulfilled, ask yourself if they’re still relevant and a priority? On your incomplete goals, what have you achieved to date? Which other angels or options have you not yet thought about which may be beneficial?
If you have unfinished goals which were high priorities, let’s consider any potential obstacles. What didn’t work? Is there someone you could ask for help in achieving that goal? Now, take a moment to imagine you are fully confident in your abilities associated with that goal; now, what is the first thing you would do?
Change topics – what did you learn in 2011? There is a difference between acquiring knowledge and situations where you applied knowledge. Does anything special come to mind? Perhaps as a leader, you read a book that created immense insight on a particular problem or work situation? What useful knowledge did you apply, and what new skills did you develop? If you acquired some great knowledge but have yet to apply it, is there an opportunity still looming?
Maybe you attended a learning intervention? Did the program provide a positive learning experience? Ask yourself, “Was there real individual value?”What value did you drive for your organization? Perhaps it was a behavior changes that occurred. If you applied new skills and behaviors to your job, are you able to identify and quantify the positive business impact?
Next, what personal preference insights do you have about yourself? At the core, who are you? I like to consider this as your personal operating manual. Perhaps you learned about specific ways you communicate? Perhaps you gained personal awareness about your decision making preferences? Maybe you explored conflict or some unintentional personal preferences or actions that have a tendency to contribute to conflict? I always consider the Johari Window when I ponder learning and any blind spots. If you didn’t gain any new personal insights, perhaps you are interested in exploring with an MBTI® assessment?
Taking a moment to reflect is important. Too often we are caught up in the “go” mode. It has been noted that individual ideas stem from being inspired, and a powerful way to become inspired is taking the time to reflect. Taking time for reflection and ideas also pertains to individual, team and organizational creativity, which leads to innovation.
I have asked a lot of questions. Now I will share some of my advice. Goal setting is an important part of goal attainment. Goals can be personal or professional, or perhaps a combination. There are all kinds of advice and tool kits on goal setting, but my advice is to keep them simple and SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time based.)
If you have difficulties creating goals and holding yourself accountable, as well as find that stagnation and frustration occur, I recommend a life or a career coach. You can review my Web site to learn more about what coaching is and the benefits.
As a life-long learner, I am a self-directed learner and passionate about supporting others with learning. As an HR and learning and development professional, I strive to always consider and apply learning and measure its impact. A good starting point for considering the value is the Kirkpatrick ROI levels of learning.
Awareness of your personal preferences provides awareness of self, and it also provides richness around tolerance of differences. As a psychometric practitioner, I love supporting individuals as they explore themselves. There are many benefits to individual and team insights.
In closure, I have provided some quotes for reflection:
“And time for reflection with colleagues is for me a lifesaver; it is not just a nice thing to do if you have the time. It is the only way you can survive.” ~Margaret Wheatley
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” ~Confucius
“Everyone and everything that shows up in our life is a reflection of something that is happening inside of us.” ~Alan Cohen
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” ~Peter Drucker
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ~Carl Jung
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