Although reflection is often considered personal, learning to reflect in the workplace can be an effective way to grow professionally. In this blog, Diana discusses the importance of taking the time to reflect and her experience with goal setting at the Innovation Hub.
Written by Diana Radenko, Graphic Design and Communications Coordinator, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Book and Media Studies
I remember the first day I stepped into a leadership role at the Innovation Hub—I knew part of my role would involve coaching my team members, but I was nervous about the responsibility of mentorship. Over time, I learned that the value of reflecting at work has less to do with my individual progress and more to do with mutual growth. After participating in and leading coaching sessions, I developed a reflection activity for my team so that we could keep each other accountable and push each other towards our goals. Actively engaging in reflection in a workplace setting expanded my understanding of reflection as a practice and gave me the confidence to lead.
My Learning Journey
At the Innovation Hub, mentorship and learning are key aspects of our work. One way that I’ve been pushed to reflect in the workplace is through my Learning Journey. The Learning Journey program gives work-study students the opportunity to connect with their direct supervisors and reflect on their growth and goals in their role. I’ve personally gone through the Learning Journey program as a work-study student and as a facilitator. Both experiences taught me the importance of setting aside time to reflect, recognizing my achievements, and setting realistic goals.
During my first term as a work-study student, the Learning Journey program pushed me to think critically about what I wanted to achieve. The first time I sat down with my supervisor for a Learning Journey conversation, I shared that I wanted to improve my storytelling skills by working on deliverables that I didn’t have much experience with, such as project icons. My supervisor supported my goals by giving me the opportunity to develop an icon from start to finish. I got to sketch icons for different projects, such as UTQAP and Family Care Office. One thing that stood out to me during the initial ideation process was how listening to my teammates pushed me to think outside the box. When we reflected on what we achieved as a team at the end of the term, I realized that my approach to sketching by incorporating my colleagues’ concepts helped us generate stronger ideas. Because of the goals I set during my Learning Journey, the work I did with my team had a more meaningful impact.
Reflection as Connection
When I took on a Team Lead role, leading Learning Journey conversations with my team members and taking the time to reflect together made me feel more connected to my team. Every time my team members confided in me, I saw firsthand how valuable reflection was to work-study students from a new perspective. To build on my team’s Learning Journeys, I built a reflection activity into our day-to-day meetings. Each week, I prepared a short reflection question and gave my team time to write in the same document. Then, everyone would have a couple of minutes to informally share their thoughts. Having a record of those reflections gave us the opportunity to look back on the term.
The first few times we did this exercise, I hesitated to write down my thoughts, so my team members didn’t write much either. But the more we reflected together, the more we discovered about each other’s working and learning styles. A question we discussed was about working environments: what factors contributed to a good workplace? When my team members shared how they preferred to work, I could tailor our co-works to suit their needs. For instance, one of my team members shared that they appreciated having the space to work independently. Since they were working with video files, it was more difficult for them to concentrate during co-works with a lot of discussion. To give them that space, I scheduled focus periods during our co-works with specific times to check in. Being more receptive to my team’s needs helped us get through our work more efficiently and to connect on a deeper level.
Moving Forward With Goals
After reflecting on a weekly basis, addressing my goals during my own Learning Journey conversations became much easier. But a key part of the Learning Journey is developing a plan to reach these goals. My team’s group reflection became a checkpoint for us to discuss how we were progressing toward our objectives. When one of my team members expressed that they wanted to get involved at iHub beyond our own project and improve their creative writing skills, I suggested that they reach out to the blog team. In a few weeks, after they had shared the resulting experience of writing a blog, I noticed that everyone made an effort to connect with others outside of our own team. This moment showed me how our collaborative reflections and open dialogue empowered others to seek new experiences.
By leading our reflection conversations, I was also giving myself an informal opportunity to hold myself accountable as a leader. I saw how my team mirrored my own approach to goal setting; how vocalizing my goals encouraged them to do the same. When my team discussed their goals, it also pushed me to think critically about which strategies were effective for me to achieve my own, and which ones weren’t. My team’s input and willingness to listen helped me find the right path forward just as much as my facilitation helped them.
Prioritizing Reflection
Over the last few years, one thing I’ve learned is that reflection is a leadership skill. Giving myself the space to reflect pushed me to do better at work. My team’s weekly reflections not only motivated me to develop my skills but also taught me how to probe and ask meaningful questions. The Learning Journey, meanwhile, provided an opportunity to advocate for my professional goals. Although it was my responsibility as a leader to lead those conversations, I saw firsthand how collaborative reflection can lead to valuable insights. At the end of the year, my team members shared that our reflection activity gave them the confidence to share their goals with others.
Wherever you may be in your own growth, I encourage building in moments of reflection in the workplace and taking advantage of mentorship opportunities. When I first started working at the iHub as a work-study student, my then-supervisor told me that every coaching conversation is what you make it, and that guided the way I completed the Learning Journey program. While his advice still holds true, I’ve also learned that even when you set your goals on your own, the best way to achieve them is to reflect on the journey with others.
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