Chapter 6 – Integrator
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6.1 Developing Reflection Skills
(click the activity index number to take you back to the activities index)
As the ‘behavioural control room’ (Vilkinas and Cartan 2001), the role of the Integrator
ensures that your previous experiences and their outcomes (both the successes and the
failures) have been reflected on and analysed in the context of the current situation.
Essentially, the Integrator role has two parts:
- Critical observer and
- Reflective learner.
However, the two parts of the role are not discrete and there will be many occasions
when you use reflection skills as you critically observe your own behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this activity is to develop the reflective
learner part of the Integrator role.Reflection is an important part of the experiential learning cycle and should follow
any experience that is related to your Personal Action Plan. You will find many
references in this workbook emphasise the use of reflective journaling. Some important
strategies related to these reflection skills that you can use as you develop your
leadership skills are highlighted below.
Reflective Learning Journals
The learning journal is an ongoing record of your personal critical learning events related
to your Personal Action Plan. Recording your thoughts, questions and challenges during
and after your attempts to elevate your leadership skills can assist you in discovering
patterns of behaviour or thinking that are blocking your progress. It also enables you to
monitor your growth and development. The reflective journal is designed to help you:
- critically review your leadership practice in the context of your work environment;
- heighten your understanding of your leadership strengths and weaknesses; and
- develop lifelong learning skills.
Some individuals find writing a journal difficult or perceive it as of little use. This often
stems from their lack of awareness on how to write ‘reflectively’. It is important to
remember that a reflective learning journal is not a log of events. As its name suggests,
it is a series of reflections on events. You should:
- Write your journal in the first person.
- Describe how you ‘performed or behaved’ during a specific event.
- Describe your feelings, attitudes and any unanswered questions.