Focused individual reflective learning (FIRL)
A service provided by Martin Ringer Consulting
Focused individual reflective learning (FIRL) is a strategy for improving organizational effectiveness through working one-to-one with key individuals such as executives, directors and senior managers. FIRL involves providing key individuals in an organization with a disciplined approach to learning from their own experience at the same time as providing time out from the pressure of everyday work in order to think things over. For each participant, this results in powerful individually relevant learning with a consequent increase in professional and personal competence. This in turn, has a positive effect on overall organizational effectiveness.
The process of reflection and thinking enables the participant improve the alignment his or her personal thinking, knowledge, skills and leadership style with the needs of the organization.
The results for participants include:
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Increased personal productivity |
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Increased capacity to move critical issues forward with a minimum of stress |
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Improved capacity to think under pressure |
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Increased capacity to see multiple perspectives |
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Increased ability to handle complexity in the work place |
| Building of personal confidence and authority. |
Who participates in FIRL?
So far, people who have participated successfully include:
| Company Directors |
| CEO’s |
| Managers |
| Consultants – including internal consultants such as Human Resources, Training, Finance etc. |
| Psychologists |
An overview of the approach
This approach involves fortnightly (or, for some people, weekly) one-hour appointments between participant and facilitator where there is:-
· A review of the participant’s own thinking feeling and actions in work place situations, with analysis of what worked and what did not
· Collaboration between facilitator and participant to search for the participant’s underlying thinking, values and motivations
· A combination of strategic organizational perspectives and personal perspectives
· A disciplined search for ways in which the individual could in future function better.
The process is based on a fundamental principle which is: -
To create a place where the participant and facilitator can think together about…
Improving the participant’s work place effectiveness…
Through learning from his/her own experience…
And through learning from the knowledge and experience of the facilitator.
The Focused Individual Reflective Learning process in detail
1 Contractual arrangements
The facilitator meets with each participant for a 1-hour introductory session during which both parties:
- Determine whether or not there is a match between the two people and
- Negotiate the specific way in which the facilitator will work with the participant.
If this negotiation is successful, both the participant and the facilitator make a commitment to take part in four meetings. At the fourth meeting a review is held in which both parties review the effectiveness of the process. If there is a successful match, both parties then generally make a further commitment for another ten meetings. If there is a difficulty, the renewed commitment is for four further meetings or the meetings are terminated.
2 Activities and processes used in FIRL
Various activities are conducted, depending on the needs of the participant. Whilst the core activity is that of reflective talking and listening, other specific techniques may be used. These include:
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Establishing specific action-learning tasks for the participant, with regular reviews of progress |
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Specific reading of relevant papers and books where they are expected to provide leverage for the participant |
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Email reviews or check-in between meetings |
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Relationship mapping of the participant’s work place |
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Clarifying the participant’s primary task at work and primary task of work place teams |
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Systemic analysis of the participant’s role in relation to the work place |
3 The credibility of FIRL
What would make a person trust that taking part in FIRL is useful, cost effective and safe? Firstly it is a personal process where the participant puts a lot of trust in the consultant. The consultant is a highly skilled practitioner who constantly gets positive feedback about his ability to relate, facilitate and create helpful professional relationships. Nonetheless, participants need to meet the consultant to make that judgement for themselves. Secondly, it is important to know that the FIRL process has been developed over a period of ten years from an integration of theory and practice. The theoretical basis is derived from accepted management, educational and psychological research and literature. Details are available from the consultant.
FIRL and the learning organization
FIRL is one of the most powerful ways in which most
organizations can become truly what they aspire to be – learning
organizations. All too often, creating a learning organization is seen as
setting up organizational data storage and recall systems to capture and
recall knowledge. This does not necessarily lead to people or organizations
actually learning as distinct from becoming data banks.
On the other hand,
FIRL is an activity that creates tangible and useful learning that is
derived from the organization’s own wisdom and experience. Learning
involves more than just data, and the learning achieved through FIRL remains fully accessible
to key people in the organization. Data
capture still has its place, but FIRL is a more tangible way of
demonstrating that “People - and you in particular - are
the organization’s most important asset."
What people have said
Julie Robson
Director of Nursing
Perth Clinic, December, 2000
Working with Martin and the FIRL process enabled me to make major progress both professionally and personally.
Professionally
FIRL helped me to understand my interactions with staff.
Through exploring the nature of the interaction I was able to tap into the thinking styles of my subordinates this led to clearer communication patterns. It assisted me to manage more difficult staff, through sitting back and observing their communication styles this helped me to recognise and manage attempts to sabotage and manipulate. I also learned that there is more then one avenue to take when dealing with particular situations and am now able to view problems from a broader aspect.
From an organisational perspective I became a much stronger manager and leader.
Personally
My personal development has been tremendous. I have learned through the art of FIRL to explore my own feelings during some of the most trying interactions and with some of the most difficult staff. Through this reflection I have learned how to control my emotions during difficult situations I have also learned to trust my intuition.
In conclusion FIRL has helped me to become a stronger manager, leader, and person.
I have through the guidance of Martin Ringer gained so much and, in just a short time moved from middle management to executive level.
Mark Warren
Business Services Manager
Transfield Worley Woodside Alliance
August, 2000
We have recently made two major organisational and cultural changes in Transfield Worley. Working with Martin using the FIRL approach, I was able to help lead the organisation to move through these significant and important changes rapidly and effectively. The FIRL process helped me to maintain clear thinking throughout the most stressful aspects of the changes. It led to better decision making and enabled me to provide strong support to the team to coach them into their new roles.
Contact details
Martin Ringer Consulting
Email martinringer@groupinstitute.com