- Embracing Team Reflection
May 6, 2023

Constant change and adaptability are vital, and essential for leaders encouraging their teams to engage in regular reflection. This practice involves carving out time for team members to share their learnings, achievements, and areas for improvement, fostering a growth mindset and promoting continuous development.

Team reflection can be facilitated through various means, such as:

  • Scheduling dedicated reflection sessions, where team members can discuss their experiences, identify patterns, and learn from one another.
  • Encouraging team members to share both their successes and failures, underscoring the idea that learning from setbacks is just as important as celebrating achievements.
  • Cultivating a culture of curiosity and open-mindedness, promoting an environment where team members feel comfortable asking questions and seeking feedback.
  • Using reflection as an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and collaboratively brainstorm potential solutions.

The U.S. Army practices a reflection technique called After Action Reviews (AARs). After completing a mission, soldiers gather to discuss what happened, why it happened, and how they can improve their performance moving forward. This reflection process not only allows team members to learn from their experiences but also promotes a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability. Many organizations have since adopted the AAR model or similar reflection techniques to enhance team performance and learning.

author avatar
George Morris
I use my 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience and training to coach businesses on scaling up rapidly using Verne Harnish's Scaling Up framework. By doing so, my clients are more efficient and profitable, giving them the ability to make bigger impacts in the world. I deeply believe entrepreneurs are the best equipped to be the vehicle for meaningful change, and in the decade ahead, we'll see a substantial shift in how business is done. We'll move to a model where company purpose, impact, curiosity, and team health will be differentiators in overall business success. As Simon Sinek has pointed out, the finite games are the legacy of the past; we're moving to an infinite game.
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