Describe why reflection is an important skill in leadership.
According to the page 104 of the text, “Experts take action and make adjustments as they go. They also reconsider their actions after the fact.” Reflective practices allow us to assess and analyze our actions and to develop a deeper understanding of the results of our actions. Ultimately, we are better able to apply what we have learned through experience to different contexts. We become more agile in adjusting to varied circumstances.
The text explains Yekovich’s (1993) three stages of cognitive decision-making. The first is the declarative stage. As the name suggests, this stage refers to fact-based, informational knowledge. The second stage is the associative stage. In this stage, the expert has acquired enough knowledge of facts and concepts that s/he becomes capable of associating informational knowledge with actions and outcomes in practice. In other words, the expert begins to effectively apply knowledge and concepts. The third and final stage is the autonomous stage. The expert enters this stage when s/he has become comfortable with decision-making, using good judgment through information and previous experiences.
The reflective process is important to moving from the declarative stage to the autonomous stage. Though I feel these stages are over simplified, they do illustrate the importance of reflective practices’ influence on the depth of knowledge and understanding of what works in the context of specific situations. Without reflective practices, a leader is not apt to realize his/her potential as an effective leader.
Examples of reflective practices throughout the Superintendent Certification program citing examples from:
· Course assignment activities
Throughout the courses of this program, reflective activities were routinely integrated into the assignments. During most of the courses, we were required to write a reflection on our experiences as we completed the activities. As a result, we have developed deeper understanding of the information we have attained through the readings, interviews, etc.
· Blogs
The blogs and discussion boards have been particularly beneficial. I have gained much insight through reading my cohorts’ blogs. The opportunity to read their forthright reflections has provided me with perspectives that I otherwise would not have attained.
· Course and campus supervised logs
As I worked through the activities in my intern plan and recorded my experiences, I had the opportunity to reflect on what knowledge I gained from those experiences. This was particularly invaluable as I was empowered to move from Yekovich’s declarative stage toward the autonomy stage in many of the competencies. I especially learned a great deal while working with my site supervisor on restructuring teacher leadership on the high school campus.
· Assessments
The self-assessments were important in validating what I had learned. I always completed the post-assessment without looking back on how I responded to the items on the pre-assessment. Afterward, I compared the pre-assessment to the post-assessment. I was generally surprised at the confidence I had gained over a relatively short period of time. These assessments also provided me with a plan to improve in specific competencies.
· Other intern reflection experience
In general, I have developed a mind-set to reflect on the actions I take each day. There are many decisions to be made every day. Often these decisions will set a precedent for future actions. Consequently, it is imperative that decisions are made thoughtfully, wisely, and with equity for all in mind. Reflective practices have helped me to make the best decisions I can make in my routine activities as well as with the bigger, more emotionally or politically charged decisions.
How I plan to use reflective practice to improve my leadership skills
Reflective practices are essential to deep understanding of best practices. I frequently write information about what happened during the work day to document events. However, this is not always enough to contribute to a deeper understanding of what was done well and what could have been done differently for a better effect. As I have progressed through the superintendent certification courses, I have become more conditioned to analyze the decisions and actions I take each day, and I often make notes of how I may improve on those decisions and actions in the future. In addition, I have begun to be more observant and analytical of other leaders’ actions and decision-making. Often the mistakes of others as well as our own are highly effective teaching tools, but if mistakes are not critically and objectively analyzed, they are destined to be repeated. Reflections have significantly contributed to my knowledge of and confidence in my ability to engage in best practices. I am committed to continuing with these reflective practices throughout my career.
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