I’ve always been a big believer in reflection to help with learning but a recent experiment provided some data to illustrate how powerful reflection is.
Giada DiStefano studied a company’s new hires as they went through an extensive training program. Over 100 employees were divided into two groups, and both received the same training until the final 15 minutes of the day. Then one group continued with their lessons, while the other spent that time reflecting in a diary about the main lessons they learned that day.
The company then conducted an assessment on the effectiveness of its training: the control group scored 54% while the reflection group scored 71%! When they tracked results one month later, the reflection group had higher customer satisfaction scores as well. Think about that. The reflection group actually had less training (by 15 minutes/day), yet outperformed on the assessment and performance metrics.
Perhaps you can adapt this learning to your organization. I always have students reflect on one thing they have learned at the end of a workshop or class — you could require it after a seminar, online class, onboarding, training, or other learning environment. It may be the most valuable 15 minutes of the day.
Source: The Power of Reflection Learner Lab podcast by Trevor Ragan
