REFLECTIVE PRACTICES

Reflective Practices

Reflective Practices

The Benefits of Reflection in Leading and Learning

The benefits of reflection in the areas of leading and learning are incorporated in the role and relevance of self-analysis. It allows the individuals involved to realize the essential contribution made by the practice of leading and learning. No external assessment can be expected to yield an adequate observation of the essential contribution of a leading/learning exercise; apart from that which the individual chooses to engage in on his/her own. Reflection allows the individual to pause and take out the time necessary to identify the precise outcomes achieved from the dedication of time and resources (Katz, 2005). As a result, reflection serves as a critically imperative part of post-process-completion assessment.

Reflection is now a part of almost all processes that involve an extensive investment of time and resources. Since reflections are generally not graded, it is imperative individuals engaging in reflection are able to give honest, unbiased and uninfluenced opinions regarding the effectiveness of the process in question (Young, 2008). In this regard, it merits highlighting that reflection can also be carried out by observers and third parties that were in direct/indirect association with the project/process being reflected upon. Reflecting is essentially the exercise of putting other tasks aside to take out the time necessary to do justice to the evaluation of a project.

A commonly accepted reason because of which the performance of reflection is considered to be critically essential is because engagement in reflection allows experiences to take on the form of learning. In the case of training and development processes, the implications of reflection are most adequately observed in cases where the amalgamated knowledge has to be tied in to initial goals and objectives (Katz, 2005). In this regard, reflection not only allows for an analysis of the degree to ...