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Journal 4

Critical Reflection and its need in the workplace 4

Reflective and Critical Practice- F2018 Professor Lynne McInally

Tony Manful-N01266849

Personal Ethics Agreement

I declare that this is our original work and the sources used are acknowledged.

Date: Monday, December 3, 18

Tony Manful
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Often before entering the workplace, skills and knowledge must be gained. There are

different types of learning, ranging from auditory which is listening to things, visual learning

which includes reading, and tactical learning where learning is acquired by doing things

(Marshik,2015). These types of learning styles though popular are standards set by society which

essentially brush all types of learning with one stroke. Meaning that everyone is expected to fall

within these categories of learning. Over time research in self-awareness and Critical reflection

has debunked these myths of learning. These theories have shown that true learning is acquired

once you can relate the material to self. Critical reflection is important because it breaks these

learning styles. Though learning is often associated with school and various academic facilities,

learning correspondence with the workplace directly this is because in order for one to perform

well the job field or a career the person must learn all the qualities of the job to ensure the job is

done properly. Critical Reflection is essential for learning and growth in the workplace. It allows

an individual to deeply reflect on him or herself in identifying weakness establishing strengths

and most importantly asking the difficult questions that may not be asked by regular learning

strategies. The most important part of critical reflection is bringing the reflection back to self. By

always coming back to self you can obtain information and relate the information to yourself or

what else you know. For example, a job requirement may require you may require you to spend

a lot of your time typing reports about the findings of your day and handing the report in at the

end of the day.

Critical reflection allows a person to bring it to self, maybe writing reports are not a strength, or

typing quickly isn’t a strength. This allows the person to find alternate ways to perform the job.

Using the example of job requirements once critical reflection is done perhaps the person realizes

that he or she can compile notes throughout the day in order to summarize it at the end their shift
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so it can be handed in. An article provided by Cherie Tsingos et al. look at reflective practice

within the pharmaceutical field and bring light the importance of this type of reflection and how

important it is. The article states “Reflective practice activities encourage learning from the

student’s own experiences and those of others, and offer a possible solution for the integration of

knowledge-based curricula with the ambiguities of practice, as well as enhance communication

and collaboration within a multidisciplinary team” (Tsingos et al. 2017). Meaning that critical

reflection is also used to solve conflicts, these conflicts can range from miscommunication with a

coworker to conflicts revolving day to day job duties. When one can critical asses themselves,

they can reach another step in their learning integration and workplace wellness. Critical

reflection in the workplace allows employees to bring their best self to work, a more self-aware

self. Another aspect of critical reflection and its positive integration in the workplace looks at the

stories you tell yourself versus the stories others tell of you (Lee, 2016). In the workplace, one

will most likely be working within a team or will have other coworkers that they would need to

work with. In critical reflection, if you know yourself and are aware of what others also know of

you or think of you, you are able to perform better at work based on the information you know.

Julia Lee from the Ross school of business proposed A Reflected best self-exercise to a

workplace within the city. During this simulation, various team members were asked to write

about their co-workers in aspects of communication clarity, and policy recommendation in

strengthens and weakness. The exercise demonstrated that the coworkers who received the

writings from their fellow coworkers actually performed better in their daily tasks at work. This

is because the individual team members felt socially valued by others in teams, so this sense of

self-worth allowed them to contribute better in teams by bringing more unique perspectives. “In

the workplace, it is essential to think about the stories you tell yourself and other stories people
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tell you about yourself, are they consistent with how you want to be remembered, this is

critical/self-reflection in the workplace” (Lee, 2016). It is essential for growth in the workplace

at any stage whether you are beginning or have been there for many years. The Workplace

Health and Wellness program at Humber College looks to equip students with the strategies and

solutions to enter every workplace and be impactful in causing positivity for the workplace. I

believe this positivity starts with Self and Critical reflection. It is a necessary step in providing

the best resources for yourself and those around you.

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References

Lee, J. (2016, May 24). Self-reflection and unlocking your full potential | Julia Lee, Ross School

of Business. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6GK5RRIIo

Marshik, T. (2015, April 02). Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection | Tesia

Marshik | TEDxUWLaCrosse. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Now8h5Rs

Tsingos, Cherie,B.Pharm, PhD., Bosnic-Anticevich, S., & Smith, Lorraine,B.A., PhD. (2014).

Reflective practice and its implications for pharmacy education.American Journal of

Pharmaceutical Education, 78(1), 1-18. Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.humber.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.humber.ca/docview/1518528758?accountid=11530