Learning from reflecting on your personal and professional journeys

Often on reality TV or after a charity-related challenging expedition, participants can be heard referring to their ‘journey’, following which others can be heard sneering at such a reference. But, when was the last time they stopped and reflected on their own personal or professional journeys? And, considering this more broadly, do lawyers truly understand how to reflect
in a manner that involves more than
musing on times past, opportunities
lost, or basking in moments of triumph?

This form of self assessment is more commonly referred to as reflective practice. Interestingly, it is known to be an activity undertaken by those who have a strong track record of being professionally successful. Reflective practice is a process that requires a high level of self awareness, the ability to seek and receive feedback from others (including those who will be critical) and the ability to make the link between successes or failures with continued development.

Reflective practitioners have a particularly active curiosity gene. They are more inclined, perhaps naturally so, to ask questions and to truly listen to the answers offered. Importantly, reflective practitioners then share their learning with others so that they can be supportive of the ongoing change that all organisations are continually faced with.

Reflection in practice

In practical terms and in its simplest form, reflective practice is a way of studying one’s own experiences to improve the
way one works. Done well, it can increase an individual’s confidence, allowing him
to become more proactive.

Reflective practitioners have a stronger reason for trusting their analysis and decision making because they have examined and questioned what they have done in the past. They therefore have a bank of data to refer to which is more than gut instinct or simply repeated but unchallenged actions or behaviours sourced from their memory banks.

Those well practised in reflection can learn how to reflect ‘in the moment’ (reflexive practice). This means that their performance can be enhanced, with the benefits of their analysis enjoyed more immediately by their colleagues and their firm in general, not to mention their clients.

How do you reflect on your professional practice? It is a straightforward process, but its impact lies in it becoming a natural habit rather than a forced, laboured, perhaps even bureaucratic activity.

To conduct reflective practice, simply describe what happened. Capture what you thought and, most importantly, felt about it. Determine the positives and the negatives of the experience or activity and decide what information that analysis provides you with. Ask yourself what you could have done differently and confirm what you will do the next time something similar occurs.

If you are interested in learning more about this skill set and the associated behaviours which are adopted by successful professionals around us, consider the works of authors such
as Graham Gibbs, Peter Senge, Chris Johns, Gary Rolfe, Chris Agyris and Donald Schon.

Transcending barriers

Medical and educational professionals are expected to conduct reflective practice as a routine activity, often in peer review sessions. In my experience, lawyers proactively reflect as a matter of routine as frequently as they conduct post-matter, post-case and post-project reviews: rarely. Lawyers don’t typically make time to increase their understanding of their
own practices.

Why don’t all legal professionals actively investigate how to improve their personal and professional delivery, rather than relying on their firm’s performance review processes to prompt a self assessment? Lawyers are used to gathering information, data and evidence, after all.

Perhaps a slight shift of focus and effort is all that is required to examine one’s own practice. Lawyers will then
be able to reflect upon how to master
their own professional journeys, paving
the way to a more successful future.

Sue Beavil is UK learning and organisational development manager at international law firm Slater & Gordon (www.slatergordon.co.uk)