A Step-by-Step Guide to Reflecting on Your Work in Learning and Development
If you're doing a year-end reflection, you need to listen to this episode.
I have some tips for how to do your time of reflection so that you get the most out of it. Because at the end of the day, I want you to learn from this time of reflection because when you learn from what you've done in the past, your perspective changes for what you can do in the future.
Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓
Key Points:
00:58 Reflecting on 2023
04:30 Scheduling a time and goal for reflection
05:37 Reflection questions
9:13 What do you want to do differently in the future?
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A Step-by-Step Guide to Reflecting on Your Work in Learning and Development
I love reflecting on my work.
It is so good just to take the time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved so you can celebrate your accomplishments and make improvements in the future. And it's something that I value and I spend time doing.
I want to share some tips for you as you sit down to reflect on 2023 so that you get the most out of it. So in this blog post, we’re covering the following:
Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Reflection on Your Work in Learning and Development
Asking Questions to Reflect on Your Training and Development Initiatives
Making Changes for the Future of Your Training and Leadership Development Initiatives
At the end of the day, I want you to learn from this time of reflection because when you learn from what you've done in the past, your perspective changes for what you can do in the future.
1) Reflecting on My Work in Nonprofit Training
As I personally think back over 2023, I love the work I've done.
I’ve worked with multiple nonprofit clients to strengthen their people development initiatives:
I've created learning solutions that will improve people's skills in their roles.
I've created competency models to define the skills that staff need to be successful.
I've started developing a multi-year Leadership Development Program.
It's been such good work. I've enjoyed the people I worked with. I've enjoyed the work that I've done. And I know I can see the impact that that work is going to have.
I've also stayed consistent with the Learning for Good podcast. I've had some amazing guests with even more already recorded and scheduled for 2024. I'm so excited for what's to come.
We've covered some really interesting topics, here are just a few examples:
E52: Should You Use Leadership Training or Leadership Coaching in Your Nonprofit?
E43: Is Learning and Development a Valued Business Partner in Your Nonprofit? Three Ways to Know For Sure
E36: How Nonprofit Learning and Development Leaders Can Use Play to Create Organizational Change
We celebrated the 50th episode of this podcast, which was such a fun milestone. I'm so proud of the work that I'm doing with this podcast because it feels like such a great adventure with you.
I also started the Nonprofit L&D Collective, a private community for nonprofit Learning and Development, Talent Management, HR, and DEI leaders. The collective provides a platform to share real-world experiences, emerging trends and best practices in Instructional Design and Leadership Development. You can ask questions, share information, and celebrate wins with your peers.
This is what I wanted when I was working internally at a national nonprofit. The value of the collective is a diverse, powerful network, the sharing, and the learning, and it's all at your fingertips.
As I reflect on my year, I've only been able to do this because I'm surrounded by my nonprofit consultant peers, my Skill Masters Market team, business coaches, friends, and family. I could not have accomplished what I have without people to encourage me and support me. And I know how much I've accomplished and what it means to my clients, because I've reflected, and I've asked them.
And that’s what I want for you too - a successful time of reflection on all your great work in L&D.
2) Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Reflection on Your Work in Learning and Development
The first thing I want you to do is to schedule a time for reflection. You might be looking at your calendar thinking I want to do it right now. If you can, great, but if not, that's okay. Go into your calendar, and find a time that you know you can commit to reflection. Schedule it, and block it so that no one else can have that time from you.
I also want you to set a goal for that time.
What do you want to accomplish?
Are there specific things that you want to learn during that time of reflection?
Are there specific ideas that you want to vet and validate?
Set a goal for the time that you have.
3) Asking Questions to Reflect on Your Training and Development Initiatives
During your time of reflection, I want you to ask yourself some questions. There are a lot of reflection questions out there, and you can certainly search on the internet for more, but here are a few that I think are really helpful in a time of self-reflection.
What are your biggest accomplishments when you look back on 2023?
How did it feel to accomplish those things?
Who supported or encouraged you?
What are you thankful for?
I like this because it helps you frame not just what you accomplished, but how it made you feel. You want to recapture that feeling in the future. And who was beside you, who helped you, who encouraged you, because you want to continue to surround yourself with people who uplift you and help you accomplish those big things.
So these questions are extremely helpful, at least as a starting point for your time of reflection.
When you sit down to do your reflection, and you go through these questions or some other questions, here's what I recommend - write down what comes to mind first. So before you go back and look through old documents or anything else, just sit down and write what comes to mind first.
For me, starting the Nonprofit L&D Collective is a huge accomplishment. It's something that I wanted when I was working internally at a nonprofit, and it's something that I'm so excited to be able to offer to other nonprofit leaders.
How did it feel to accomplish those things?
It felt good.
It felt like I was really trying to connect people, like I was creating something that would be meaningful to people.
But it also felt scary.
What if nobody wants to join? What if other people don't feel the way I do? What if people join but then nobody is active in the group?
But I pushed through those fears. And I leaned into those good feelings. And I was able to create this group.
It's a work in progress.
I'm constantly learning about communities, how to moderate a good community, how to help people feel welcome when they join, and how to prompt conversation. And so I'll probably have some more goals around the community next year. But when I look back at this year, I still consider it to be one of my biggest accomplishments.
4) Making Changes for the Future of Your Training and Leadership Development Initiatives
Once you've had a chance to get those answers out of your head and onto paper, go verify them.
Go back to your goals.
What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of the year or the end of last year moving into this year?
How did you do when you look at those goals?
Did you achieve them?
Are there things that you missed?
Were there things that you over-achieved on?
Review your calendar, and look back through emails. How did the year feel? Who reached out to you and encouraged you? Who were you in meetings with?
So how did you do?
How did it feel?
And who was there for you?
Now look at your notes and reflect on what went well and what you want to be different.
Maybe you had five goals and achieved three of them. Two of them felt really good. One of them felt really hard. Now you can start to reflect on what you would want to do differently in the future.
Do you want to carry over the two goals that you didn't achieve into the next year?
Or did something shift and so that's not a priority anymore?
What went well, and what do you want to be different?
And then as you think about what you want to be different, ask yourself questions about next year.
What do you want to accomplish next year?
How do you want it to feel as you work towards that goal or when it has been accomplished?
Who do you want to be with you?
Who do you want to surround yourself with?
This process of scheduling a time, setting a goal for that time, asking yourself some specific questions, and writing down what comes to mind first, but then verifying, reflecting on what went well and what you want to be different, and then planning for next year is an incredible process of reflection.
Reflecting in this way can change your perspective. It will allow you to see not just the things that you did but also how you felt and who supported you so you can make any needed adjustments next year.
I know I'm taking the time to reflect. And I hope you will too.
To hear the full episode on the Learning for Good Podcast, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 61.
The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective
Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders?
I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information.
That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space.
When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs.
So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective.
