The power of reflection at work

STEP has now completed the latest audit cycle of members’ continuing professional development (CPD) records. Those selected for audit were required to show us their CPD plan that identified what they hoped to achieve in the year, a record of the actions taken to support or improve the skills they needed to fulfil their job role and, finally, how they would reflect on those actions. Reflection involves stating whether they achieved their CPD aims and whether it prompted them to plan any further action.

Although we are still reviewing the full audit results and planning our own work programme, we have identified that although members are carrying out relevant CPD, there was a mixed response from members in demonstrating how they have reflected upon their CPD.

Reflecting on our practice can help us avoid being complacent at work and can give us the ability to reframe and resolve workplace challenges. It is often assumed that working harder or longer will increase productivity. However, this is only ever a short-term solution. We work smarter when we take the time to stop doing and start thinking.

Taking the time to consider what we have learned is powerful and assists in building our confidence and capability as individuals. Learning does not have to involve a full day out of the office at a conference or attending an online webinar. We can learn from our daily work activities.

When a project has been completed, for example, we typically consider lessons learned, identifying what went well and what can be improved for next time. We reflect in order to improve future projects. This process of reflection is easy for us to build into our daily routines. At the end of the working day, take five minutes to consider: what did I do today? What strategies did I use? Did I achieve what I planned to do? If not, why not?

This is easy to do. We do not need any fancy tools to support us. Old-fashioned pen and paper will do, but if you do want to use technology (which will enable quicker submission if selected for audit), open a Word document or Excel spreadsheet and jot down a sentence or two. In less than five minutes, you will have thought through your day and completed a small amount of reflective practice that contributes to your CPD.

We hone our skills through doing. We learn to make judgements without overthinking and we develop the ability to do our jobs while juggling varying workplace demands, such as meeting the needs of clients and colleagues, adhering to professional codes and keeping up with the latest compliance requirements. Honing our skills improves our judgement and gives us the confidence to deal with complex matters and identify ways to improve our processes and policies.

It has probably taken you less than five minutes to read this. Maybe you learned something, maybe not, but in order to answer that you will have had to reflect on what you have read and, just like that, your CPD for the day is complete.