We have travelled quite far in this series, unpacking the purpose of organisational learning. From Part 1 where we described why it is important to think about programmatic and organisational learning for international development to Part 6 where we connected culture and community.

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In Part 7 we get granular with a look at Reflection Sessions. 

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In essence, a reflection session is a learning meeting designed to capture lessons learned, insights and experiences intermittently during or after a project or significant event. The main goal is to facilitate learning and improvement by discussing what went well, what didn’t, and how processes or outcomes can be enhanced in the future. 

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They are focused conversations that look at the past to help us build our organisational memory, make decision-making relevant and really impactful, and improve our future project performance – they do this by: 

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• Facilitating knowledge sharing: They provide a structured environment for team members to share tacit and explicit knowledge.
• Supporting knowledge conversion: By enabling discussions and reflections, these sessions help convert tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and vice versa.
• Enhancing organisational learning: They capture lessons learned from projects and events, contributing to an organisation’s collective memory and continuous improvement efforts.
• Encouraging continuous improvement: By reflecting on past experiences, organisations can identify areas for improvement and implement changes that enhance future performance.

Here are our do’s and don’ts for sessions that go beyond talk:

‍To-do

1. Create a safe environment: Ensure participants feel comfortable sharing their honest opinions without fear of retribution.
2. Be objective: Focus on facts and data rather than personal opinions or emotions.
3. Encourage participation: Make sure all voices are heard and valued.
4. Be constructive: Aim to identify solutions and improvements rather than just highlighting problems.
5. Document thoroughly: Capture all relevant information accurately for future reference.

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Not-to-do

1. Avoid blame: Do not single out individuals for mistakes; focus on process improvements.
2. Skip preparation: Lack of preparation can lead to unstructured and unproductive sessions.
3. Dominate the conversation: Ensure the facilitator does not overshadow the input of participants.
4. Ignore follow-up: Failing to follow up on action items can render the session ineffective.
5. Be negative: Avoid a purely critical tone; instead balance criticism with recognition of successes and positive outcomes.

How to Propel your session

We plan and facilitate Reflection Sessions with our members and team regularly. So, in the spirit of knowledge sharing for all, below are top tips & tricks that we’ve learned first-hand.  

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1. Prepare

• Identify the participants: Ensure key team members and stakeholders are invited.
• Set your objectives: Define clear objectives for the session, such as identifying best practices, understanding failures or improving specific processes.
• Collate your data: Collect relevant data, reports and feedback related to the project or event.
• Create an agenda: Plan a structured agenda with specific topics to cover, allowing time for open discussion.

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2. Conduct

• Introduction:
  • In your welcome, explain the purpose and objectives of the session.
  • Outline the agenda and set ground rules for participation (e.g., respect, openness, no blaming).
• Review:
  • Summarise the project or event, highlighting key milestones and outcomes.
• Discussion:
  • Use guiding questions to facilitate discussion:some text
    • What went well and why?
    • What were the challenges and why did they happen?
    • What can we do differently next time?
  • Encourage all participants to share their perspectives and experiences. Some team members may be more comfortable sharing their views on the likes of a Miro board whereas others may enjoy talking through them. What’s important is that you adapt your engagement canvas so you get everyone’s contribution. 
• Documentation:
  • Capture key points, lessons learned and actionable recommendations.
• Action Plan:
  • Develop a plan to implement the identified improvements and assign responsibilities.

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3. Next Steps

• Report: Create a comprehensive report summarising the session's findings and distribute it to all relevant parties.
• Follow-up: Ensure that the action items are tracked and progress is monitored.
• Knowledge sharing: Save the insights and lessons learned into the organisation’s knowledge base and most importantly, present them to the leadership of the organisation. Make them relevant to the organisation’s objectives and realities, ensuring you elevate the impact of the intel.   

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Sneak-peak for inspiration: Propel transforms the way humanitarian and development teams manage knowledge and learn from their work. The tool makes reflection a simple, realistic and daily part of the work being done because it is a dedicated place of knowledge: 

• An anywhere, anytime online platform for NGO staff – based anywhere – to easily document, organise and gain insights from colleagues’ learnings.

• A space where team inputs to project specific learning questions are translated into learning stories.
• A place where teams and alliance partners can collaborate around learnings to help them to keep doing good by doing what works and avoiding what does not work in the field.  

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Not merely a platform, Propel is also a movement towards a world where no opportunity for impact is lost, and where every learning moment is a step closer to work places where knowledge unlocks a world of exponential impact.

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After all, isn’t that the future reflection we’re looking to see?  

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Additional resources to check out: 

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• “The benefits of team reflections and how to lead one” (Atlassian, 27 August 2023) https://www.atlassian.com/blog/leadership/team-reflections-and-how-to-lead-one
• “Learning by thinking: How reflection can spur progress along the learning curve" (Harvard Business Review, Di Stefano and Gino, 2023) https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2414478 
• “As leaders, reflection needs to be a rhythm” (Jane Sparrow, 22 December 2023) Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/janesparrow/2023/12/22/as-leaders-reflection-needs-to-be-a-rhythm/ 
• “Waking up to the power of reflection to unlock transformation in people, teams and organizations” (Patterson, 2016) https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/53615 
• ”The Power of Reflection at work” (Harvard Business Review, Gino and Pisano) in Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2014/05/the-power-of-reflection-at-work 
• “Why reflection is crucial to leadership, future planning and success” (Jenn Lofgren, 31 January 2021) https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/01/12/why-reflection-is-crucial-to-leadership-future-planning-and-success/ 
• “13 effective employee retention strategies for 2024” (Chauncey Crail, 13 May 2024)  https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/business/employee-retention-strategies/

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Propel learning in your organisation and stay tuned for more Tips & Tricks for learning. 

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