The Power of Reflection: Why Real Growth Only Starts When You Stop

Why Real Growth Only Starts When You Stop

Being busy is often considered a sign of success. We rush from one meeting to another, assuming that more action leads to more results. However, according to Camiel Gielkens, CEO of Schouten Company (the parent company of Relevance), this constant doing can actually get in the way of development. “If you’re always running, you never give your brain the chance to process what you have actually experienced,” Camiel says. “Real growth does not happen during training. It happens in the moments of reflection afterwards.”

The problem with constant action

Many organizations invest heavily in training, but they often forget to build in the time to think about how to apply that new knowledge. Without reflection, new insights remain superficial. You might understand a concept in theory, but when you return to the daily rush, you quickly fall back into old habits. Camiel notes that this is where most development programs fail: “If you do not create the mental space to look back, you’re essentially just repeating the same day over and over again.”

Small habits, big impact

Reflecting does not mean you have to schedule hour-long sessions every day. The most successful organizations, like Schiphol and IKEA, build reflection into the small gaps of their existing routine. It is about making it a normal part of the workday rather than an extra task.

As Camiel explains, this can be very practical: “It can be as simple as taking five minutes after a meeting to ask: what did we actually achieve here? Or reserving thirty minutes at the end of the week to look at your goals. These small pauses are what turn information into actual skill.”

Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap

Reflection is the bridge that connects ‘what we know’ to ‘what we do’. It creates an awareness of our patterns and gives us the chance to adjust them. When a team regularly reflects on their collaboration, they stop making the same mistakes and start finding more efficient ways to work together.

For Camiel, this is a strategic necessity. “In a world that changes as fast as ours, the ability to reflect is what makes an organization agile. It allows you to learn from your mistakes in real time and stay ahead of the competition.”

How to start reflecting today

Building a habit of reflection starts with small, deliberate choices:

• Stop the back-to-back culture: Build in five minutes between meetings to write down one key takeaway.

• Ask curious questions: Instead of just asking if a task is finished, ask your team: “What was the most surprising thing you learned today?”

• Legitimize the pause: Make it clear within your team that taking time to think is just as productive as answering emails.
  

By making reflection a standard part of your workflow, you ensure that learning is a continuous engine for growth.

Want to learn more about the power of reflection and building a learning culture?

Download our full whitepaper “Stop Training, Start Learning” and discover the seven crucial factors for cultivating a powerful learning culture that lasts.

About Relevance

Relevance is the in company training partner of Schouten Company and has been a specialist in leadership and talent development for over forty years. With an international network of more than nine hundred facilitators and over one hundred thousand participants each year, Relevance helps organizations make leadership tangible, applicable, and future-ready. Always personal, always adaptive, and always evidence-based.