Segment 3 (2022) Critical Reflection

[Paul Terlemezian]

"Few leaders these days would declare themselves not to be critically reflective."

• How can you be sure that you are authentically critically reflective?
• What assumptions are you not willing to reflect upon?
• What might these assumptions prevent you from learning?
• What would it take to allow you to temporarily "suspend" these assumptions?
• What other aspects of "Critical Reflection" are you curious about?

Humorists:

• Avish Parashar
• Bright Side

Panelists:

• Eric Bluestein
• Allan Hess
• Chris Mathes
• Jacqueline Merrill
• Bob Norton

Moderators:

• Affan Chaudry
• JoAnn Labbie
• Alexandre Poulin

"Remarkable" Speakers/Listeners:

• Steph Crowe

[Alex Poulin]

Hi everyone!

I would like to start a few steps back for this topic before diving into Paul's questions and ask the following: 

• What does it mean to be "critical"?
• What is reflection?
  • Aren't we "critical" when we reflect?
• What is authenticity? 

Thanks!

Alex

[Avish Parashar]

good questions to start! 

Critical can mean a few things, I think in this context critical means "objectively evaluating what could be better/improved."

Reflection is turning the critical eye inward. And yes, we are critical when reflecting, though I think you can reflect and focus on what you did well. not just what could be improved.

Authenticity is a tough one, but a simple definition would be external self-honesty. Are you expressing to the world what you honestly think and feel on the inside?

[Alex Poulin]

Hi everyone, 

I've been thinking about this topic since last time I posted and here are a few more questions I would like to touch upon: 

- How do you personally review yourself?

- What are your criterion for "success" and "failure"? 

- What are your metrics of evaluation? 

- Did you establish these metrics and standards yourself? 

[Paul Terlemezian]

Alex - it seems like there is feedback every day - sometimes it is hard to hear - like a "deafening silence." It is also possible to over-react to what we hear. Finding the balance is key for me - quite easy to say and yet quite hard to do!

[Stephanie Crowe]

Check out "My Bias Is" - this site allows you to scroll through the cognitive biases that prevent critical thinking  24 Cognitive Biases stuffing up your thinking (yourbias.is)

[Alex Poulin]

That's a great site, thank you for the share! 

But I am also curious about how someone critically reflects after this checklist has been done. 

In business, it can be "easier" to look at the data and then reflect on how the result was achieved or not, but what about someone's personal life? Or is it as difficult to critically reflect on business goals and outcomes? 

We often analyze in business, but do we critically reflect? 

[Paul Terlemezian]

Thanks for sharing the link Steph. I wonder how many decisions one makes in an average day?

According to this article - we make 122 decisions/day and spend 3 hours doing so! Frankly - 122 decisions sounds like a low number to me.

What suggestions do you offer that will allow us to filter each decision 24 times?

[Paul Terlemezian]

What did you learn about yourself from Bright Side?

• I took the assessment twice and agreed to stick with my answers - so I am thinking I was authentic.
• I was willing to be vulnerable by sharing the link and the potential sensitive nature of the content.
• I am curious to understand what I learned about myself. Some questions were "easy" and I would openly share my answers. Others I would not share - I am still pondering why I feel that way. Others were not easy and it made me happy that this was just a game - but I did learn about myself.

[Paul Terlemezian]

[Paul Terlemezian]

From the Authors of "Learning as a Way of Leading:

Critical Reflection:

"...scrutinize the assumptions we make about power dynamics, our own use of power, and how we accept (without being aware of it) assumptions and practices that harm us...."

[Alex Poulin]

This is pointing toward the direction I wanted to take this conversation. 

We can think of our jobs, businesses, or organizations that we run as a game of power. 

Do we scrutinize the assumptions we make about how we gain power? 

I have recently much more focused on the values structures that guide our lives, whether its business or personal lives. 

If you seek to immorally run a business and it's successful, did you do a good job? 

If I am top performing worker but I do not help my colleagues, am I a good employee? 

[Paul Terlemezian]

How do we learn how to be an employee?

How are standards set? Who do we trust to set the standards, evaluate our performance, remedy when needed, and then apply the remedy?

Who does this for the setter of standards (etc. - is this like two mirrors blaming each other?)

Who does this for the self-employed?