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Six tips for creating reflective thinking practices
October 26, 2017

Foster reflective thinking habits

Reeves, Torres and Hassan, in their article “How to Regain the Lost Art of Reflectionsuggest these routines to foster reflective thinking habits:

Schedule and protect

Calendar unstructured thinking time for reflection and learning.

Get a coach

Leaders may find a trusted thinking partner who challenges them with questions, observations and insight as a stimulus for reflective thinking.

Cultivate a list of questions which prompt reflective thought

As the big questions, like what is the purpose of the company? What unique value can I bring to the firm as CEO? What behavior am I modeling to drive a healthy and effective culture?

Protect yourself and your people from information overload

Find time to think quietly and clear out the clutter of information that does not lead to purpose, results and impact.

Be a metaproblem-solver

Focus on and question the process for solving problems, including how we hear and evaluate ideas and the quality of questions we ask to refine our thinking.

Be a role model for employees

Practicing slow thinking as a senior leader can trickle down through the organization and create a culture of learning and deliberate, thoughtful decision-making.

To learn more and find more resources putting your reflective thinking habits into practice, see our related blog post, Being Still: An Essential Element of Leadership Fitness.

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Author
Marialane Schultz

Marialane Schultz is the founder of IOCI. She helps individuals and organizations perform at their best, do meaningful work and be impactful through customized coaching and consulting engagements.

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