“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
Do you ever feel like you are running from one thing to the next? The list of reasons this might not be fun or effective is long, but let me focus on one today. Often when you go from one thing to the next, you do not take the time to learn. Why is learning important? Whether in a relationship with a child, spouse, or friend, or in the workplace on a particular task, debriefing helps you see when something is not working. It helps you to see the changes needed and make them. It helps you be more of who you want to be in your relationships, not to mention more effective in your tasks.
This is why in coaching, we advocate a process of debriefing.
What is Debriefing?
Debriefing is stopping after a conversation or a task and reflecting on your actions, decisions, and outcomes. Did you get what you wanted? Why? What do you want to repeat? What do you want to improve? This practice is not just about identifying mistakes but about gaining insights that can drive future success. This practice is a way to intervene in the habit of doing the same thing over and over when it is not working!
Why Debriefing Matters
- Gaining Insight: By reviewing your behavior and results (again in conversations and tasks), you gain a deeper understanding of what is working and also areas for improvement.
- Creates a Learning Mindset about Challenges: Debriefing encourages a learning mindset. When you consider what went wrong, you learn how to tackle similar issues more effectively in the future. You may even look forward to learning from your mistakes! This proactive approach can significantly improve your ability to navigate challenges, and this mindset can also change the culture of the workplace and your personal relationships to one where mistakes are celebrated and used for growth.
- Fostering Awareness in the Moment: Taking the time to review your actions and their outcomes helps you take ownership of your successes and failures, leading to more conscious and deliberate decision-making. This will translate to more awareness in the moment of future conversations and tasks that have been debriefed.
- Drives Continuous Improvement: Regular debriefing creates a cycle of continuous improvement. By consistently evaluating your performance, you identify areas for growth and development, which contributes to your overall professional advancement and will set you apart from the people who are running from thing to thing without considering what they are learning.
How to Implement Debriefing
- Schedule Time after Meetings and Tasks: Dedicate specific times, whether weekly or after key projects, for debriefing.
- Use Prompts to Guide Your Reflections: Here are examples. Come up with your own as well:
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- What were the objectives and were they achieved?
- What went well and what could be improved?
- What did I learn from this experience?
- How can I apply these lessons to future endeavors?
It is important to focus the majority of your debriefing on yourself. While you might note some external things to change, the majority of the control you have is over yourself, so focus your inquiry there.
Sometimes writing things down can feel cumbersome. Find a way to do it that works easily for you. In coaching, we have a form with key questions and we set aside 10 minutes after each call to answer them. We can then read these notes before the next similar meeting so we are better prepared with our learning.
Conclusion
Debriefing is a powerful tool for learning, insight, and improvement. It will illuminate and interrupt your unseen and nonworking habits. Get started now by scheduling 10 minutes after each meeting in order to reflect and grow!
