Team reflection is everything: here’s how to make it a habit

Why is it so hard to sit down and reflect?

Maybe it’s our deadline-focused culture, where busyness is a badge of honour and headless-chicken mode seems the only route to success.

Yet research tells us that pausing to give quiet contemplation to our experiences rockets productivity and team spirit.

Is it time to make calm reflection more socially acceptable? We think so. Here are our tips for getting the most out of this powerful, free tool:

Make a time… and stick to it

With no immediate ROI, motivating your team to spend time reflecting can be hard. Creating a dedicated time will telegraph a powerful message that you take it seriously and that you’re willing to devote paid time to it. Just be sure to stick to it!

Use reflective writing

Getting our thoughts down on paper gives us space to inspect our beliefs and actions in a way that provides new and deeper insights. 

Handwriting also helps us retain information. So start each session with free writing. Be still. Give your brain the opportunity to untangle experiences, as you muse on those important questions.

Ask the right questions

Asking “how,” “what,” “why,” and “who” questions is powerful. How could we do things differently? What still puzzles us? Why are we doing this? Who can support us? Brainstorm and explore multiple perspectives. Really examine your thinking.

With the capacity to reflect together, your team will feel unified and better prepared to tackle whatever curveball the universe decides to throw next.