Did you have the opportunity to attend ATD23 on-site in San Diego or online? Or, if not, has your organization selected you to attend any other large conference with many speakers, panels, discussions, suppliers, exhibits, and networking opportunities?
If you’ve experienced one of the above scenarios, then you’ve probably done this: You describe the conference to a manager or colleague using many generalities about how great it was, the huge number of exhibits, and maybe even include the names of the headliners or some big topics.
But what if the manager or team member asks for more specifics, such as what takeaways you gained that affect a specific project or a new idea your team is working on? Do you have a cogent comment about something relevant that resonated with you? Would you be able to provide a few details on the spot? Or would your mind be blank or, even worse, jumbled with many unconnected generalities?
For the two interactive ATD Forum sessions (each was offered two times) at ATD23, our goal was to help attendees with learning in the flow by having them use several tools and techniques for reflecting in real time. Because there are various definitions available and 60 people in each session, we offered this operational definition for reflection: A cognitive process for intentionally thinking about an experience or message to make sense of it. Reflection promotes stickiness, especially when it’s captured in writing.
For one of the session designs, without much introduction, participants were given simple instructions to reflect on one of the keynotes or their total experience and just capture their thoughts in a free flow manner given a limited amount of time.
Next, they were shown a short video on using a structured reflection method called “What Squares.” Then using three representative symbols—a square, circle, and triangle—they were asked to capture their ideas from the same keynote session in the space provided by responding to the following questions:
- What squares with your thinking?
- What is still rolling around in your head?
- What will you do differently or change based on this information?
Continuing the activity, the participants were asked to pair up with another person at their table and share their responses to the reflections they had captured. After that, they were to discuss what was similar, what was different, and their new aha moments. Again, they made notes on their sheets and annotated their new learning based on the discussion with another person.
In small groups of six, they discussed the value of reflection, especially in the flow of work or during daily activities. They also provided insights on the pros and cons of each reflection technique.
As a large group of 60, they discussed and voted on their favorite reflection method. Many suggested the value of doing everything in sequence: silent and individual free flow, silent and individual capture using a structured format with trigger prompts, sharing with another person, then sharing in a small group of multiple dyads. The value of learning from others was evident from comments like: They captured many ideas I forgot about, or they saw it from a different perspective.
For both sessions, most participants voted for the structured method using the “What Squares” as the most effective method. Participants were also given examples for variants of “What Squares,” including:
- Square - What are four things that square with your thinking?
- Circle - What is one thing still rolling around in your head?
- Triangle - What three points do you want to remember?
Additionally, a two-column version with either set of questions was provided. With this version, the comments on the reflection prompts happen at two different times.
The second session used a variant of the W3 method or What, So What, and Now What tool. The three prompts included capturing responses to the following:
WHAT? - What are your reflections from ATD23? What was the situation or experience? What happened? A description of the facts, what happened, with whom, and key takeaways.
SO WHAT? - Explain the importance and application of the WHAT?
NOW WHAT? - Distill and apply the WHAT? and SO WHAT? into personal actions and applications of lessons learned. Suggestions might include:
· I will study___________________to learn more about____________________.
· I will reach out to _______________ in order to seek more insight, guidance, and advice.
· I will ask_____________to hold me accountable for________________________.
· I will _________________ in order to create an experience to ________ by (date)_____.
While the table participants captured their first WHAT individually and personally, they posted a round robin of their WHAT and, through discussions, synthesized the small group ideas into a theme for the follow-on SO WHAT and NOW WHAT capture as a group.
While there was structure with the W3, creativity blossomed as some groups used the format provided, others used a variant of a mind map, and others added icons and shapes.
When asked about their favorite refection methods and tools, journaling was high on the list. One suggestion given for journaling is periodically reviewing and commenting about what you have written to connect to other journal entries or opportunities for action. Participants mentioned ending meetings with the Rose-Thorn activities, which was also a suggestion of the keynote Priya Parker and is similar to Plus Delta or the Start. Stop. Continue retrospectives used in scrum sessions. One attendee mentioned the Pocket Guide to Probing Questions developed by Gene Thompson-Grove, published by the School Reform Initiative and available for download on numerous websites. Also mentioned was Head. Heart. Hands - Head (What are you thinking?), Heart (What are you feeling?), and Hands (What might be your next steps?), along with a variety of others. Attendees were encouraged to download the Reflection Matrix template and use it to expand their portfolio for including reflection in learning experiences and, more importantly, in the work flow during the day.
So, the next time your manager or a team member asks you about your experiences and takeaways from a conference or any other experience, be prepared to share with them specifics on something meaningful, how it might impact a project, some action steps you are taking, and some questions you are still pondering. And ask them about their ideas!
