What is meant by reflecting collectively

Reflecting collectively means looking back at what the team has done, thinking about what went well and what could be better. It helps the team understand their strengths and find ways to improve.

Suggesting improvements means sharing ideas on how things can be done better. This could be about how the team works together, progress towards a goal, how tasks are completed, how challenges are handled, or wider motivation and morale.

Reflection and improvement involve:

• Checking progress: Seeing if goals have been met.
• Identifying strengths: Noticing what worked well.
• Spotting difficulties: Recognising problems or challenges.
• Finding solutions: Thinking of ways to make things better.

Reflecting and improving help a team grow, learn, and achieve better results

Why and when it is important to reflect collectively

Reflection is useful at different times during a team’s work, such as after finishing a task, halfway through a project, or at regular points in time.

Taking time for reflection can be particularly helpful:

• After completing a task: To see what worked well and what could be improved for next time.
• At milestones in a long project: To check if changes are needed before continuing.
• When a problem happens: To understand what went wrong and how to fix it.
• If morale or motivation is lower: To understand the reasons and make changes.

When done well, reflection in a team can:

• Help the team learn: Looking back helps everyone understand what works best.
• Prevents mistakes: Learning from past errors helps avoid them in the future.
• Makes the team stronger: When a team improves together, they become more confident and effective as well as more appreciative of each other.

However, reflection should always be constructive – the goal is to help the team, not criticise individuals unfairly.

As such, pausing for reflection might be hard to do during a crisis when there is urgent work that needs to be done immediately, when emotions are particularly high, or without a clear purpose.

How to effectively reflect on team progress and suggest improvements

To reflect well and make helpful suggestions, the team needs to be open, fair, and focused on solutions. Some approaches to do this well can include:

1. Create time for reflection: Set aside a moment to talk about progress and improvements. Make sure everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and to prepare themselves in advance. 
2. Be honest but respectful: Talk about what went well and what was difficult. Use positive language and avoid blaming others.
3. Listen to different views: Let team members share their own experiences and ideas. Respect different opinions and work together on solutions.
4. Focus on solutions, not just problems: Instead of just pointing out mistakes, suggest ways to fix them. Be clear and specific when giving ideas for improvement.
5. Learn from past experiences: Keep track of past reflections and see if changes have helped. Use what the team has learned to do better in the future.

By reflecting well and making useful suggestions, a team can continuously grow and achieve better results together.