Reflective Practice

In this article “I Don’t have Time to Think!” versus the Art of Reflective Practice, Joseph Raelin (2002) highlights how corporate organizations have created an environment in which workers are proficient workhorses, yet have no time to evaluate their actions or the outcome of their actions. However, Raelin proposes a solution in the form of reflective practice which will promote free thinking individuals, who make up a collective, who construct meaningful and efficient practices that can boost workplace morale and productivity. As defined by Raelin (2002, 1) Reflective practice “…is the practice of periodically stepping back to ponder the meaning of what has recently transpired to ourselves and to others in our immediate environment”. This reflection becomes an individual and mutual learning experience that creates a data base of information

Raelin attests, to the necessity of reflective practice as a collective to keep the individual accountable because: people can be inattentive to their actions and the repercussions of these actions, they don’t always do as per their word, they can have a biased understanding of truth and lastly, every situation can be different and multiple wisdoms can supply the information needed to make informed judgement in a timely manner. Raelin posits that workers no matter their skill level are indeed human, which makes them social creatures who possess the quality of empathy and when exposed to an environment that nurtures these qualities open dialogue will ensue and the reflective process will sustain itself. In order for the right environment to come to fruition, the author proposes procedural changes such as promoting individual and group reflection activities which will cultivate knowledge which can be used as the catalyst for change and creation of a new cultural