A set of tools to help managers find the time for reflection and use it more productively.

1. Tools for critical
reflection
Martin Locock
June 2012
mlocock

2. Objectives
•Understand how we use our time
•Understand critical thinking and critical reflection
•Apply a range of techniques to enhance reflection

3.
Exercise 1: time allocation
How much of your time is spent:
•preparing for activity (plan)
•doing activity (do)
•reviewing activity (reflect)
•Compare with partner

4. Review Planning
10% 10%
Type A
Living in the present
Hurry sickness? Activity
80%
Review
5%
Type B Planning
35%
Planning/doing
Activity
60%
Type C Review
15% Planning
25%
Plan/Do/Reflect
Activity
60%

5. Reviewing your time use
• How much time spent doing is wasted?
• How much time spent planning is
wasted?
• How much time spent reflecting is
wasted?
• Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People: sharpening the saw

6. Reflection
• Should you spend more time
reflecting?
• Why can’t you spend enough time
on it now?
 Zimbardo Time Perspective
Inventory
 David Allen Getting Things Done
Photo: Sham Shaikh

7. Reasons not to reflect
• Feels selfish?
• Unproductive?
• Can’t find time?
• Risky?
• Whose permission do you need to
change your time use?

8. Critical thinking and critical reflection
Critical thinking
“active interpretation and evaluation of
observations” awareness of one’s own thoughts
and behaviour [‘meta awareness’]
Present focus
Critical reflection
purposeful thought about experience to
understand and learn for the future
Past / future focus

9. Critical thinking and reflection
Self awareness - the internal narrative
Becoming self-aware in real time
Critical reflection -
what did I learn?
what did I do well?
what should I do next?

10. Building a routine
•Needs to work for you
•Time, place, environment, materials
•Regular / default behaviour - new habit
•Make a commitment
•Value success
Stefan Sagmeister

11. The Museum of Lost Ideas
Photo: Jon Hanson

12. Daily reflection
• First 5 minutes
• Waiting for computer to start
• Things you plan to do today
• Last 5 minutes
• Things you plan to do tomorrow
• Things you did today - reflection

13. Keeping a notebook
• A working tool not a work of art
• Be honest
• Be reflective and analytical
• Date your entries and review them
• Can be questions
• Can be action points

14. An effective diary
•Day 1: three things I’m grateful for
•Day 2: a great memory
•Day 3: a future plan
•Day 4: letter to someone
•Day 5: review where you are
From Richard Wiseman
59 Seconds
Stefan Sagmeister

15. Critical friends
What is a critical friend?
Someone who will assist your personal development
over the medium term
Provides: trust, support, honesty, time = friend
And: challenge, measure progress = critical
Not: information, advice, negative comments
Who makes a good critical friend?
Not your boss
Not your best friend
Who?

16. Exercise 2: free writing : A current problem
Free writing is a technique that allows you to
follow a line of thought without self-editing and
will often end by exposing an insight of which
you were not consciously aware.
•Select an issue (a current problem you are
facing)
•Start writing what you think or feel about it
•Don’t worry about structure, spelling or layout
•Keep the pen moving across the page
•Don’t go back to correct or erase
•Defined time
Feedback?

17. Critical reflection toolbox
•Routine
•Notebook
•Diary
•Critical friend
•Free writing

18. Conclusion
•Time
•Self-awareness
•Reflection

19. mlocock@gmail.com
@mlocock