Building a Learning Culture: A reflective conversation guide

A key aspect of a manager’s role is to guide and support team members to: 

• navigate learning pathways 
• develop skills that will be a strong foundation for careers in the APS. 

A manager can do this by providing constructive feedback, sharing opportunities for learning and development and by identifying appropriate professional development opportunities. Managers can help to grow professional networks by engaging with stakeholders and their community and providing advice and mentoring. 

It is important to remember that, as an employee, you are expected to be proactive and self-motivated in your development. Managers and supervisors are there to support your development, while you remain at the centre of your own career growth.

Taking the lead

A good habit for both managers and employees is to set up regular check-ins to discuss and reflect on performance, and professional and personal development. This creates space to share upcoming learning and development opportunities that you would like to participate in, and to manage workload. You may block out 30 minutes weekly or fortnightly, depending on your schedules. You can spend that time talking about: 

• performance
• development
• career goals and progress
• what is working well
• what you would like to see done differently
• how you will achieve this together.

Some handy tips:

• Come into these sessions with a growth mindset, be open minded and try to understand the other person’s perspective, even if you respectfully disagree.
• Be selective and focus on important pieces of feedback – you don’t need them to take on everything.
• Be considerate and feel confident that you (or they) don’t need to share more than you feel comfortable with.
• Be respectful of the other person’s opinion and be aware that it takes courage to share developmental information.
• Think of your questions beforehand and prepare what you would like to discuss so you can ask good questions and have a focused discussion.
• Be open to further reflection and research. It is okay if you do not have all the answers during the discussion. If you need time to think about, or look into, the topics being discussed, feel free to communicate that. This shows that you are taking the conversation seriously and are committed to continuous learning and growth.
• Use the SMART goal approach to ensure that approaches to growth and development are robust.

Sample reflective questions

Capability development

• What are the most critical skills I should focus on improving in my role?
• Are there any technical or soft skills that would significantly enhance my performance?
• What skills do you think are essential for my next rotation or career step?
• How can I identify and address gaps in my capability to better align with my role’s requirements?
• What are the key skills you’ve observed that I should further develop in my current role?
• Are there any projects or tasks I could take on to expand my experience and skill set?

Performance and feedback

• Could you provide feedback on a recent project or task I completed and highlight areas for improvement?
• What do you see as my key strengths and how can I leverage them more effectively?
• How can I ensure I am consistently achieving performance expectations?
• What are some common mistakes to avoid in this rotation and how can I guard against them?
• Based on my current work, which specific areas would you suggest I focus on to grow and take on more responsibility?

Career development and pathways

• What career pathways within my agency or the APS would best align with my interests, skills and potential?
• How can I build a strong professional network within my agency and the APS to support my career growth?
• What steps should I take now to prepare for future leadership opportunities?
• How can I best align professional and personal development goals to my agency's strategic priorities?
• Could you share your insights on what career pathways within your agency would suit my personality, interests and skills?

Professional and personal goal alignment

• How can I align my professional goals with my agency's strategic priorities?
• Are there any specific initiatives or projects in my agency or the APS that align with my interests and values?
• What strategies would you recommend for balancing short-term goals and long-term career aspirations?
• What can I do to reach my full potential?
• How could I track and measure my progress towards my career goals?

Work-life balance and wellbeing

• How can I better manage my workload to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
• Are there any resources or strategies you’d recommend for managing stress and staying motivated?

Time management and productivity

• What strategies could I use to manage my time more effectively and maximise my learning during the program?
• How can I prioritise my tasks to ensure I gain a well-rounded experience in this rotation?
• How should I be managing my time so I can gain a holistic learning experience?

Mentorship and networking

• Are there any colleagues or networks you would recommend connecting with to help me grow professionally?
• Are there any shadowing or mentoring opportunities with senior leaders within the branch?

360° feedback

• How can we work together to provide constructive feedback to one another to help us collaborate more effectively?
• What’s the best way for us to communicate feedback about processes or challenges we observe within the team?
• How can I ensure that my feedback is both helpful and actionable for the team’s success? 

Team dynamics and collaboration

• How does this team prefer to communicate and collaborate on projects?
• What team norms or practices should I be aware of to contribute effectively?
• Are there specific ways I can adapt my working style to better align with the team’s operations?
• How could the team adapt their working style to accommodate my workplace needs?

Reflective listening

Professional settings, reflective listening can be crucial for resolving conflicts, building team cohesion, enhancing leader-employee relationships, and overall, helping to improve communication within the workplace. For instance, a manager using reflective listening might say to an employee, ‘It seems like you’re feeling overwhelmed with the workload; let’s explore how we can address this.’ This not only shows empathy but also encourages collaborative problem-solving.

Summarising during reflective listening demonstrates the listener’s attentiveness and focus, clarifying understanding by ensuring accurate interpretation of the speaker’s words, emotions and underlying needs. It offers the speaker a chance to correct misunderstandings, elaborate as needed, and hear their own experiences reflected back, potentially leading to new insights and enhanced self-awareness.

In conversations you will be both a listener and a speaker, so these are great techniques to practice:

Feedback

Feedback is a vital component for professional growth and this guide encourages both giving and receiving feedback in a constructive and respectful way. Managers and employees should actively invite feedback and take time to practice giving feedback. This is a skill that will serve you well in future leadership positions. Actionable feedback, which uses specific examples of what is working well and what could improve, helps everyone. It is also helpful to track feedback, and record insights and actions, so you can stay accountable and see your progress over time.

Conversation structure

To make the most of reflective conversations, use a structured agenda for your meetings. For example, your first meeting could focus on setting expectations and discussing your learning goals. Follow-up check-ins might focus on reviewing progress, identifying opportunities and gathering feedback. 

Performance discussions are an opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved, what you’ve learned and what you can improve on. These conversations should happen regularly, not just once. Planning your conversations in advance helps keep the conversation focused and productive. It will make sure you both get the most out of them.

Team dynamics and collaboration

Understanding and adapting to team dynamics is a critical skill in any workplace. Take time to learn how your team operates by asking questions such as: 

• What are your preferred ways of communicating and collaborating?
• How can I best support your career goals?

Building strong relationships in your team can help you to contribute meaningfully to projects and to navigate challenges effectively. This guide encourages you to observe, engage and actively participate in your team’s activities. This helps everyone: 

• feel included
• work towards shared goals 
• shape their career pathways.

Diverse learning opportunities

Now is the perfect time to explore diverse learning opportunities that align with career goals. Beyond formal training, consider participating in stretch assignments, cross-departmental projects or hands-on experiences to broaden skillsets. Use a Career Pathway tool like the APS Career Pathfinder to identify and prioritise activities that target technical, interpersonal and specific skills. This proactive approach to learning ensures you gain valuable insights and experiences that will support long-term aspirations.

Problem-solving resilience

Challenges are inevitable, but they also present opportunities for growth. During reflective conversations, discuss the employee’s career challenges and explore solutions together. Problem-solving frameworks like the STAR method can help you articulate and address issues effectively. It gives your team a framework to show their approach. 

Resilience is a critical skill to develop early in people’s careers. Use reflective practice to identify strategies for staying motivated, handling setbacks and maintaining a positive outlook. Remember, every challenge is a chance to learn and improve.

Recognising achievements

Celebrating achievements, both big and small, is an important part of a professional journey. Take time during your reflective conversations to acknowledge successes and discuss how they align with short, medium and long-term goals. Build a portfolio of accomplishments – whether it is completing a key project, learning a new skill, building resilience or receiving positive feedback. This can be invaluable for future job applications and career discussions. When you recognise and document progress, it helps people stay motivated and confident to grow and succeed.

Remember, professional growth requires a proactive approach, so keep looking for ways to stretch and develop. Give people the time and space to reflect. Be kind to yourself and remind your team to do the same. We are all continuous learners. The gap between knowing and not knowing can seem large and can be frustrating at times. But if you persevere, you will make good progress! Be confident to support others to grow by being open-minded, trying new things and setting an example for success.