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Leadership from the Inside Out

Booklet 2 – Reflection

Booklet 2 – ReflectionWelcome to the Reflection Booklet. Reflection is an excellent skill for self-discovery because its purpose is to expand awareness. Becoming aware of what is going on “in here” (inside ourselves) helps inform us of how we show up “out there” (in the world). When we reflect, we see that our actions are driven by our thinking and feelings. Often we are not aware of this connection and this disconnect can result in behavior that does not meet ours or those around us needs. Reflection provides a means to shape our behavior before and during situations, that in the past may have baffled us. Reflection helps us DISCOVER, CONNECT, and TAKE ACTION in a manner that is more conscious and aligned with our values.

BackgroundJust as we ask our girl members to participate in leadership journeys, Girl Scout–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc. (GSACPC) has been on a journey to explore and implement the new Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Girl Scout Leadership Experience in order to create the best leadership program for girls. As we started on this journey, we recognized Girl Scouting’s strength in dealing with what needs to be done, how we need to do it, and why it’s important, but realized that we seldom pay attention to the who in the Discover part of the process. What is going on in the individual who is doing the discovering? Who is she? Does she know herself? Does she know why she does what she does?

As part of our journey we wanted to make certain we were connected to this who, so we developed the following chart to remind us of the special place inside each person that makes her who she is.

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The chart illustrates the balance necessary to produce a comprehensive leadership development model capable of creating “girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place,” and the volunteers needed to facilitate the process.

The What frame concentrates on the specific task. This frame can be taught through basic instruction that leads to a specific output, such as an achievement. The output or achievement of the task reinforces the individual’s self worth. If a girl accomplishes a task well, she feels good about herself. Teaching a girl to make a craft item is an activity that illustrates the What frame. This frame provides the first step in building confidence as tasks are completed.

The How frame involves process–not just what we do, but how we do it. It takes into account how leadership is developed. This frame provides a process for the initial formation of a group and the girl within the group setting. The troop provides the way in which girls interact with each other–the blueprint for them to further build confidence in a supportive, collaborative setting and incorporate the skills they need to develop healthy interactive relationships.

The Why frame cultivates a sense of mission–it answers the question “Why do we do what we do?” and fosters the development of goals that seek worthwhile outcomes that serve the broader community. The Why brings a sense of empowerment and the determination to make a difference in the girl’s own life and beyond. Character values such as

Theory of Action

RESULTDRIVERAPPROACHUNITFRAME

How

Why Mission Goals Community Outcomes

Tactics Design Group Process

WhatManagement

Leadership

Task Instruction Ego Output

Who UniqueSelf Calling

Values/Beliefs Spirit/Senseof Purpose

EnduringChange

integrity and compassion become integrated into decision-making that promotes individual and community well-being.

We at GSACPC are adding the Who frame, which we believe is essential for enduring change. It asks the question “Who am I and what is mine to do?” The answer to this question is an ongoing one for each person and unfolds over a lifetime. We seek to encourage girls (and leaders) to begin the journey of asking this question of themselves. This frame ultimately invites each individual to know herself, and to discover a sense of her own unique calling in the world based on well-developed beliefs and values. This Who frame connects a person with the spirit or deep sense of purpose that inspires her with the courage to lead her own life and when we are aware of this connection our capacity for making the world a better place grows.

ReflectionThe Girl Scouts’ Discover, Connect, Take Action is not a straight-line, sequential process but a circle in which each person continually comes back to discovering herself. By connecting and taking action in the world, and developing the capacity to reflect on the quality of her relationships and what she has achieved, she can look inward again and again to discover her motives, whether she feels fulfilled, and how she might choose to do things differently to achieve her dreams and aspirations. From this internal place, she can listen for her inner voice, a place that is connected far beyond self. It is this voice that provides her with guidance that is not filtered by expectations from outside, nor does it come exclusively from the mind.

Almost one-hundred years ago the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Low, clearly stated that the Girl Scout Movement is a spiritual one. Helping girls connect with their internal compass related to their life’s purpose and our deeply held values is core to our work. Reflective practices are just one of the tools with which to do it.

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Reflective PracticeGirl Scouting tradition focuses on hands-on learning where knowledge emerges from action and experience in an immediate and relevant setting. When this key tradition is followed by a time of reflection and “sense-making” by participants learning and discovery occur at a much deeper level.

The word reflection means “to look again” or “to turn back to” and it refers to the practice of taking a second look at what we have said, done, felt or experienced in order to learn. These reflective processes are critical to girls and adults to develop their own self-awareness. When we are self-aware we then can “lead from inside out.”

The following are reflective practices that are used in the leadership work of the council and across the world. You are encouraged use them in troop meetings, neighborhood meetings and all aspects of your program.

1 | Full Stop MomentA Full Stop Moment is designed to allow you to arrive in your own inner space of silence – the place that is always still, no matter what is going on in the world or in you. Effective leaders use this practice to ensure they are acting, not reacting. Full Stop Moments might start a meeting, provide a pause for a group when it has lost its way, or to bring an individual back in balance in the face of difficult circumstances. A Full Stop Moment requires little fanfare and it might look like individuals or groups that have incorporated the practice are simply taking a deep breath.

It is helpful to practice reaching your inner place of silence. In the middle of a busy activity or when there is a lot of noise around you, take a moment to stop, be still, and quiet your mind and feelings. You might use a bell or a chime in a group or meeting to signal a minute of silence for everyone. This can help you and others manage their thoughts better after the quietness; by experiencing a “full stop” they can often release themselves from the grip of negative thinking just by becoming aware in that moment. Finally, the power of silence can remind everyone of their own values and purpose.

2 | Check-In Create an opportunity for each voice to be heard. At the start of each gathering or meeting, take time for participants to reflect on what’s on their minds, how they are feeling emotionally and physically, or what personal news they might want to bring to the group. Check-in provides an opportunity for everyone to say what will help them be fully present. This reflective time allows the community to become aware of what each person is thinking and feeling, to build stronger relationships voice by voice, and help each member to become more fully present

3 | Reflective Discussion/Storytelling Create a place of safety for girls to share something from their lives in order to encourage learning and insight. This discussion takes place in circle. Ask participants to listen with their full attention, speak with thoughtful intent, and seek to contribute to the well-being of the whole group. Guided by reflective questions, this is an opportunity for each person to speak her personal story or experience, have her story witnessed, and learn from herself and others. You might invite each girl to think of an experience that was important to her and that she would like to share–an experience or story where she experienced learning or that she would like to think about in a new way. It could be a difficult moment she remembers, a situation in which she didn’t know what to do, an achievement of which she is proud, or simply a family or school story she wants to share.

4| Journaling Make space for quiet time to capture thoughts and feelings on paper. By recording reflections about events, turning points, choices, etc, whether in a group or by yourself, you can see how you as an individual think, create, learn, and feel. When you put something on paper a new perspective is gained and you can see how you’re thinking differently and work with your thoughts in new ways. You can break through old habitual patterns because you can see them, and you can gain access to your innate wisdom and creativity. Many who have developed the practice of journaling report it transforming their lives.

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Journaling can be used rather like a Full Stop Moment. At the end of a meeting or after a group activity, invite everyone to take time to write in their journals. Guide them with reflective questions (see below) or just let them write about what they have been doing and then ask what they learned by putting their experiences on paper.

5 | Walking the Labyrintha special place for reflective practiceAt each of GSACPC camps, a labyrinth has been built. The labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness and it celebrates both the inner and the outer self. It combines the imagery of both the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path, walking the labyrinth allows for a reflective journey on a path traveled by many.

As you begin your walk to the center of the labyrinth, let yourself quiet down and bring to mind people for whom you care, aspects of your life that need reflection or attention, or just be silent inside yourself. As you reach the center, stand there for a while and see what comes to you. As you walk back out of the labyrinth, let yourself become aware of coming into the world again and think of what you might need to do/who might need your help or attention and what you could do for him or her.

Reflective Questions– A way to help guide reflective practiceEach reflective practice can be enhanced by a thoughtful guiding question. These questions can be selected to suit the situation, the practice you are using, and the age of the participants. These questions are just a sampling to help guide reflective discussions, journaling, check-in, or journeys through the labyrinth.

• What did I learn about myself during today’s activity?

• What seem to be the patterns in the way I tend to approach activities or meetings?

• What energizes or inspires me?

• Looking back over this last year, when was I the happiest?

• When I think about my future, what frightens me?

• What holds me back or prevents me from being what/ who I want to be?

• When do I feel most alive?

• What has the most heartfelt meaning for me? And why?

In Girl Scouting, there are many activities that connect experiential learning with reflection. A helpful step-by-step group approach involves:

• Introducing participants to an activity

• Demonstrating the activity as you introduce it (sometimes this is helpful)

• Debriefing by asking questions which lead participants to reflect on their experience (both inner and outer—for example “What worked? What didn’t work? How did you feel inside when you did that?)

• Helping to make tacit knowledge explicit and transferable to other settings and situations–for example “What did you learn by doing that and how might you apply it in other parts of your life?”

Through reflective practice girls are able to develop positive values and expand their capacity for critical thinking. The chart on the next page represents outcomes and indicators developed by GSUSA for these skills.

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Girl Scout Daisy

Girl Scout Brownie

Girl Scout Cadette

Girl Scout Senior

Girl Scout Ambassador

Girl Scout Junior

• Recognize that their choices of actions and words have an effect on others. • Recognize that the thoughts and feelings of others can vary from their own.

• Are better able to examine positive and negative effects of people’s actions on others and the environment. • Are increasingly able to consider other viewpoints in deciding what to do or believe.

• Gain greater understanding of ethical decision-making in their lives. • Are better able to examine issues and ideas from various perspectives.

• Act consistently with a considered and self- determined set of values. • Are increasingly able to address local/global/ societal barriers to women’s leadership.

• Are better able to examine positive and negative effects of people’s actions on others and the environment. • Are better able to consider multiple perspectives on issues.

• Are better able to recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas. • Are better able to apply critical thinking skills to challenge stereotypes and biases.

• Give examples of when their actions made something better for someone else. • Make statements that show they recognize another’s feelings or opinions, such as “You are sad” and/or “You are happy.”

• Give an example of when their actions made something better for someone else. • Listen and consider each other’s opinions when making decisions.

• Give examples of using the Girl Scout Promise and Law in deciding to “do what’s right.” • Debate or discuss various perspectives on an issue they are concerned about (e.g. women’s rights, global warming).

• Choose educational and career goals in line with the values they consider important. • Express interest in Take Action projects that address gender inequality, locally and globally.

• Explain the difference between right and wrong choices. • Show increased interest in learning about different sides of issues (e.g. with other girls, in public forums).

• Give examples of making ethical decisions in their everyday lives and can explain why they made them (e.g. consider both direct and indirect consequences of their actions). • Question assumptions behind inequities they encounter (e.g., female athletes earning less than male athletes).

ContributorsCarol Ackerson

Barbara CecilGlennifer GillespieMary Lee Hoffman

Beth JandernoaMatt Thesing

Tamara Woodbury

EditorsGlennifer Gillespie

Robin Telle

Graphic DesignNicole Andersen

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council would like to thank The Fetzer Institute for their generous support of this project.

Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc.

119 E Coronado Road | Phoenix, AZ 85004602.452.7000 | 800.352.6133www.girlscoutsaz.org