What is Reflective practice?
Sometimes when I engage with a piece of art, listen to some music or become aware of the natural world around me something happens. I get in touch with a sense of what it means to be human, just to be with whatever feelings arise, without reaching for solutions or answers. This simple sense of being with our humanity in all its complexity is not something we associate with our working lives in which decision making and action is typically our focus. it can be extremely fruitful if we set aside a regular time to activate a reflective mode of being and apply it to the dilemmas, we encounter at work. For me this is what reflective practice is all about. In today’s hyper-busy, technocratic and digital work environment we surely, need to re-engage with what it means to be human. Reflective practice is one way of doing this.
How are Reflective practice groups used?
Reflective practice can happen within one-to-one supervision but is most often used in groups. The groups follow a set format that provides a secure environment in which participants share dilemmas, give and receive feedback. Reflective practice groups can be ongoing or time limited. They can be themed around a particular work role and involve people from different organisations, or they can be for teams who regularly work together. Sometimes organisations commission reflective practice groups during periods of significant change for example mergers and restructures.
What are the benefits of reflective practice groups?
Reflective practice groups help people find new and creative ways of approaching problems which may previously have felt intractable. Reflective practice groups promote more meaningful discussions, creative thinking and personal development. Teams can learn to better understand each other, anxieties are surfaced, better understood and eased. Reflective practice leads to personal development, better decision making, decreased burnout, reduced turnover and stronger teams.
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