Gibbs Reflective Cycle Analysis

1. There isn’t one single definition which best describes what management is since through time management has developed ; In his book "Industrial and General Administration" Henry Fayol defines management as ‘to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control’ (as cited in Murugan, 2004) which are also known as the five functions of management. This classical management theory focus very little on the relationships between managers and the employees, and is more focused on the organizational resources rather than the organizations members, employees are seen as elements rather than resources. Fayol used the term “command” rather than to lead and direct which could be considered as a more autocratic way of leadership.

Gibbs reflective cycle is a useful tool for reflective learning (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). By applying six steps to a situation; Description, Feelings, Evaluations, Analysis, Conclusion, Action plan, gibbs gives an idea of how one can critically reflect. Gibbs cycle was developed on The Kolb Cycle which is based on four stages; concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and planning active experimentation (Whetten & Cameron,2011). One might argue that compared with Gibbs’s reflective cycle, the Kolb cycle might be too narrow and underdeveloped and one might feel that this cycle did not help them fully

Empirical evidence shows that ‘people who are more self-aware are healthier and they perform better in leadership roles’ (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). On the other hand sometimes new knowledge about oneself, especially negative knowledge about oneself can be uncomfortable and leads to negative feelings. As Maslow (1968) explains that personal growth is sometimes avoided ‘because we fear finding out that we are not all that we would like to be’ (p.57).

From this reflection I realised that I need to focus on my communication skills in particular assertiveness. Assertiveness ‘represents a way of thinking and behaving that allows a person to stand up for his or her rights while respecting the rights of others’ hence it is a powerful skill all managers to communicate better. It is also very important to distinguished between assertiveness is taken as aggression since sometimes these are confused, which will lead to misdirection and frustration.

I am developing this skill initially through experiential learning, since it is through experience where you lean the most, obviously if you are willing to learn. Practically, I am trying to voice my opinion more, in a calm and confident way. I am also focusing on non-verbal assertive