Prior to the coaches meeting, coach Allison excitedly messaged all the coaches.
“Happy Thursday everyone! Attended a professional development workshop yesterday at work. And you’re not going to believe the topic - Reflection. What great timing! Speaker was Dr. Peter McGahey from West Virginia University. Covered topic with a sports angle. Fits great with our process - helping and supporting the Falcons. Will shoot over email with my takeaway notes/thoughts. Looking forward to our Tuesday conversation.”
To: Coach; Coach Joe
From: Coach Allison
RE: Reflection - Situations Talk Back / Dr. Peter McGahey - West Virginia University
Here are my takeaway notes and thoughts:
Coaching others involves Leading ourselves. Two major elements of this Intrapersonal communication are self-awareness and reflection.
Growing as a professional, coach, sports psychologist, computer programmer, pilot, etc. calls for us to examine ourselves and our teams. Be aware of strengths, our beliefs, areas of improvement, our self-talk, etc. This represents the inner journey. Better self-awareness helps us lead ourselves and others more effectively.
Our self-awareness is enhanced by our willingness to embrace reflection.
A common barrier and myth to reflection. One being that it is too introspective. Too touchy feely. A little like a teenager writing in their diary. Not to worry. it doesn’t have to be this way. Certainly there can be writing in reflection and emotions and feelings can be included. Reflection can represent important professional behavior.
Another one is time. Many folks share that they don’t have time to reflect. Just too busy. Or don’t want to dedicate the time. Lots of folks believe - you can’t change the past. Correct! The past can’t be changed - no matter how hard we try. Though, what’s the impact of the future on not learning from the past? Or even the present for that matter.
Questions to consider. What’s the cost of not dedicating time to reflection for ourselves and our teams? Remember, some reflection is better than none. Start small. Doesn’t have to be 60 minutes of silent meditative reflection. 5 minutes using a reflection model is a great place to begin.
We don’t learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.
John Dewey / American Educational Philosopher
Becoming a reflective practitioner is critical to being a professional committed to growth. Whatever our profession may be. Our growth mindset comes to life through reflection.
Our world is complex. The phenomena in front of us, whether that be a little league team’s practice or game, our company’s shipping schedule, our patient’s diagnosis, etc. are often filled with complexity and uncertainty. Our phenomena are unstable and unique. They can even challenge our values.
A reflective practitioner recognizes that our phenomena is talk back, if we are willing to listen. The critical dialogue for reflection.
Reflection allows us to ‘see as and do as’ as we lead ourselves and our teams. It permits us to draw on our experience and add to our repertoire of possible solutions moving forward.
Coach Allison again - Here’s a copy of the chart he gave us:
Becoming a Reflection Practitioner – 4 Types of Reflection
Type of Reflection | When | Description | Learning Experience |
‘In-action’ | Midst of an activity … as something is happening | Consider - Decide - Act (immediate) | Learning ‘through’ an experience |
‘On-action’ | Action is present … Occurs ‘within’ and ‘after’ an ongoing experience (practice, game, event) | Assess and reconsider plan of action for ‘next time’ - your action can still influence the overall experience | Learning ‘through’ an experience |
Retrospective Reflection | After or at the conclusion of an experience … | Reflection can no longer influence, impact, and/or effect experience | Learning ‘from’ experience |
Critical Reflection | Periodically. Likely intentionally planned. | Deeply examine and review core beliefs, values, principles, philosophies, etc. | Learning ‘from & through’’ experience Actualizing learned experiences |
Reflection- permits us to intentionally examine what’s happening and what might change in the future. Reflection aids us in adjusting our role, experimenting with new ideas or solutions, and testing out different theories and concepts.
Reflection allows the professional to truly examine and process their ‘art’. Keep diving into the reflection process and integrate it into your practice
References:
Gilbert, W., & Trudel, P. (2006). The coach as a reflective practitioner . In R. L. Jones (Ed.), The sports coach as educator: Re-conceptualising sports coaching (pp. 113–127). chapter, Routledge.
Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. Jossey-Bass, Inc.
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