‘Self Reflection’ is a widespread discussion in education. And why is that? Hayer (2015) says “in the fast-moving society of the twenty-first century being adaptable and multi-faceted are naturally prioritized amongst these skills, as opportunities, companies and societal needs rapidly evolve.” Which makes sense, if we truly reflect on 21st Century businesses, employees must work to keep up with advancements in knowledge and technology. As a teacher in her 10th year, Im continuously trying to find ways to connect with myself as a learner and foster growth in order to stay current as a teacher, mentor and coach. And just as much as I coach and mentor, I learn from my mentees.
Many of the articles from this week only reflect on mentorship or self-reflection but not both and how they can be combined to provide growth for the new and experienced employee. However, upon further reflection from Helyer (2015) and Ryan (2013) there is a need to increase genuine self reflection in the workplace, and provide mentorships for all employees (not just the new employees). Mentoring should not stop at the end of the first year of employment, there should be an interest to further explore and research the value of self reflection for the mentor as well as the mentee. Self reflection and mentorships have become such a large part of education as stated by MacDonald (2018), that they are even becoming a requirement in post secondary schools to help Nontraditional learners. Shouldn’t this be more widespread in the workplace? MacDonald states, majority of students in postsecondary are nontraditional learners, which means the majority of new employees joining the workforce are also non traditional learners and need to provide the proper mentoring. If one were to be truly practice self-reflection, shouldn’t learning be experienced from both sides (employer/ employee)?
Heyler explained that critical self reflection can be painful, and may require shedding old habits, and he also insinuates throughout his article that there must be capacity for trust as well. This is why mentors “must become facilitators and guides, and students must learn to trust their tutors, and often their peers within the course cohort, in order to be open and honest with them, To engage in reflective practice, people need a sense of security” (Heyer p.20).
I would like to argue that, in the realm of the workplace, mentorship as well as self reflection must both occur simultaneously. However, in order to create optimal critical reflection, mentorships must be genuine and built on trust. As stated by Elena Aguilar’s book, “Trust is built through the structures that we put in place to foster healthy relationships and to make decisions. If structures don’t exist, the chance of creating a transformational community is lessened” (Aguilar. P. 40). This coincides with what Ryan and Helyer are explaining with regard to self reflection. If you want to truly learn, you must reflect, and self reflection is helpful, but for the greatest results in a business, it must be done as a team. And as Aguilar states, a team must trust the feeling of confidence we have in another’s character and competence. Therefore, I’d like to think that there is a fundamental step missing between these articles. For all the above stated to take place, business, mentors, tutors, and coaches need to foster genuine partnerships built on trust, then we can work with one another to mobilize a more critical analysis of our learning, experiences and performances.
References:
Aguilar, E. (2016) Creating a Culture of Trust. The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools. 39-61.
Helyer, R. (2015). Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based learning (WBL). Journal of Work-Applied Management, 7(1), 15-27
MacDonald, K. (2018). A Review of the Literature: The Needs of Nontraditional Students in Postsecondary Education. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, 5(4), 159-164.
Ryan, M. (2013). The pedagogical balancing act: teaching reflection in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(2), 144-155.
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