We’re living in a fast-paced world. How often do you realize that you don’t have enough time? Is it a matter of time, or priority? Every now and then it is good to slow down, stop for a moment and create some time for reflection, in order to go faster afterwards.
On a personal level
On a personal level, it is good to take a step back and look at your actions and performance and reflect on it. For instance, ask yourself questions about your skills, your performance, your effectiveness, and your relationships. It will help you to paint a picture for yourself on how you are doing and where you can improve.
According to Inc., brain science shows that reflection is a deeper form of learning which can take us to higher levels of ideation and skill development, and it fuels personal growth as well.
Reflection can be done by keeping a journal, doing a weekly review or taking long walks. Almost every year I take some time to walk parts of the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. Actually, at this moment I am in the middle of making a multi-day walk through the landscape of Northern Spain. It is a fascinating experience where you meet new people from all walks of life. And you will meet yourself, in reflection. After those walks, I always come back re-energized and full of new ideas.
On an alliance level
Also on the level of your alliances and partnerships, it is good to schedule moments of reflection. Alliances too need to get re-energized from time to time. However, you do need to know where the energy is needed and if it is still worth to continue. In fact, the art of alliance management asks for constant reflection and adjustment to bring the parties working together towards a joint result.
You need to slow your alliance down to go faster and to increase your level of alliance success. I can almost hear you think that you don’t have time to slow down. You have a deadline to make. Well … make some time for the Alliance Masterclass and go faster afterwards.