Introduction
In this series’ first article, Beyond Tools and Processes: Strategies for Successful Software Development Teams, we introduced the concept of reflective practices. Reflection aims to facilitate learning from experience. The essence of reflection is to actively engage in a process to gain perspective on one’s own actions and experiences. The aim of this process is to analyze those experiences rather than merely living through them. By cultivating curiosity and a willingness to explore our actions and experiences, we unlock the potential for intentional learning, not only as individuals but also as a team or even an organization. This learning stems not from books or experts but directly from our own work and lived experiences, successes, and failures. We proposed this definition:
Reflection entails actively observing and analyzing one’s own experience to gain a deeper understanding of how to constructively translate it to learning. Then, ultimately engage in activities to improve based on the reflection exercise [1].
Introduction to Reflective Practices
Humans are inherently natural learners. We possess internal mechanisms that facilitate the process from infancy. However, some of us cease learning because, as adults, we become biased or unwilling to challenge our own held beliefs, assumptions, and our settled ways of doing things and thinking. Sometimes, we fail to grow due to a lack of learning opportunities. This could be because everything around us is predictable, and we are happy with it that way. However, this is not always the case when you develop software. Typically, a group of cross-functional people—sometimes strangers with no prior history working together—deliver these projects amidst unknowns and uncertainty.
In its wisdom, agile advocates for this practice in the manifesto; it states:
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
This recommendation was translated to prescribed and dedicated ceremony in Scrum and XP, Sprint Retrospective and Reflections, respectively. Reflective practice is using collective experiences to facilitate learning. Through reflective processes, teams can gain a better understanding of situations and take action to either improve it or continue doing it [2]). Reflective learning differs from the theoretical information that guides our practice. This approach differs from acquiring abilities by imitation, as it requires conscious thought and decision-making [2]. Reflective practice bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering a framework for developing understanding and learning. This type of learning is anchored in the team’s own experiences, and any actions would align better with the particularities of the team. This process is depicted in the figure below:
An Experience
The aim of engaging in a reflective activity is to learn from an experience or experiences. Empiricism, an approach to knowledge, posits that sensory experience and observation, rather than innate ideas, theories, or pure reasoning, are the primary sources of learning and information. This empirical method relies on, not only the data we live through collective experiences, but also through experimentation and observable evidence. In the context of epistemology, empiricism stands in contrast to rationalism, which emphasizes reason as the primary source of knowledge.
So, what is an experience in the context of reflective practices? First, it’s empirical: something lived, felt or sensed, as opposed to thinking or an idea. It must be involving or related to what is happening or happened rather than abstract ideas. It can also be an activity or an event purposefully created to lead to learning; for instance, an experiment.
Figure 1: Reflective Practices Process, adopted from [2]
Reflection
By shifting our attention to other parts of our experiences, reflective processes broaden our perspectives and allow us to perceive things in new ways. When we intentionally choose to delve into an experience, we go through a series of stages known as reflective processes. Regardless of whether we are reflecting alone or with others, we want to lay out the fundamental principles of utilizing a structure for reflection. These ideas will be presented and discussed in a future article. The basic steps in the reflective process are [2]:
- The first step is to choose an experience(s) to reflect on, e.g., last Scrum spring or a software bug that made it to production
- The second is to observe and describe what happened and why it happened
- Third step is analyzing and interpreting the experience. For example, as a team, we did not meet the sprint goal because the Product Owner did not attend the sprint planning session and the team made inaccurate assumptions or the testing phase was not thorough or missed testing scenarios
- Investigating other alternatives if the intent is to improve or how to maintain the behavior or a particular practice if the experience was positive and something is desired to keep doing
- Frame the action, i.e., how to move forward and improve or maintain the positive results
Although these steps may seem straightforward, their implementation presents challenges. For example, for the second step to materialize, team members need to feel safe speaking up about what and why. This open dialogue necessitates a sense of safety, also known as psychological safety. Furthermore, without collective accountability for the team’s actions and mistakes, the entire process may not be effective or even occur at all.
Action
In the third part of reflective practice, teams take action based on their decisions to move forward to create opportunity for growth. This can be both the most challenging aspect of reflective practice. This because it usually involves change and confronting a problematic situation or ingrained behavior. It is also where the team transition from the theoretical to the practical or from improvement design to implementation. Certain actions, such as confronting others or modifying legacy behavior patterns, may cause worry or tension. To handle this natural tendency, it is important to anticipate and plan for potential outcomes.
In conclusion, the reflective process emphasizes the role of empiricism—learning derived from lived experiences, mistakes, and successes. This experiential learning allows teams to refine their practices and align more closely with how they envisage themselves as a team. However, it is critical to ensure that teams cultivate a psychologically safe environment where members feel comfortable sharing honest reflections, as this openness is essential to genuine learning and growth.
Fostering continuous learning and growth through reflective practices enables software teams to bridge the gap between action and insights, ultimately enhancing their adaptability and resilience. Reflective practices, as outlined in this article, offer a structured approach for teams to examine experiences, analyze their outcomes, and take deliberate actions based on their findings. As software development becomes more complex and software teams operate in uncertain environments, the ability to reflect, adapt, and take action on insights will remain essential. Reflective practices empower teams to face challenges collaboratively, setting a foundation for continuous improvement and sustainable growth. In this article, we introduced the concept of reflective practices and its core components. In future articles, we will illustrate how this framework can be implemented efficiently in software development processes like Scrum, which has already a built-in mechanism for reflection, i.e., retrospectives.
References
[1] J. Amulya. What is reflective practice. Center for Reflective Community Practice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.[Online]. Available at: http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org, uk/files/whatisreflectivepractice.pdf [Accessed 15 April 2009], 2004.
[2] M. Jasper. Beginning reflective practice. Nelson Thornes Ltd, 2003.
Author: Adam Alami, Professor of Software Engineering, University of Southern Denmark
Adam Alami is an Associate Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark and a published author with a deep-rooted career in the information technology sector. With over two decades of experience, Adam began as a software developer before expanding his expertise into business analysis, project management, and organizational change. His professional background includes spearheading major IT transformation projects and guiding Agile implementations across diverse industries.
Adam’s research is at the intersection of software engineering, social sciences and human-AI collaboration, with a focus on how teams can leverage both behavioral insights and technical methodologies to improve software development outcomes. He delves into the socio-technical aspects of engineering processes, exploring the impact of ceremonies, team norms, and cultural values on quality. Adam holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the IT University of Copenhagen and frequently collaborates with industry partners to bridge academic research with real-world applications. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamalami/ X: @AdamAlamiDK