Critical Incidents & Small Business

The Ref lective NewsWord count 1061

SDI 0715814 in reflective mood

Small Business are they Coping ? This week we interview SDI 0715814 on how a critical incident affected his business and his use of Atkins & Murphy´s reflective model (see page insert hyperlink)

SDI 0715814 you made a bit of a stir this week when a critical incident regarding your business was front page in the Sunshine News.

Can you tell our readers how, in the current situation, small businesses such as yours are coping with critical incidents?

SDI Quite well actually, it all has to do with reflection.

Reflection?

SDI Yes, I reflect on a particular critical incident using a reflective model that will hopefully let me examine the governing variables surrounding the incident, make the appropriate single and double-loop learning adjustments and apply my new knowledge gained to my practice thereby improving it, brilliant really. Yes, our regular readers will be familiar with reflection from previous issues. Can you give us an example?

SDI Sure, as your readers know, I was faced with a invoicing problem. I was reluctant to charge for my services out of a sense of loyalty or wanting to be seen as, well, a nice guy really.

Yes quite, we all read your account in this week´s Sunshine. How how have you dealt with it in a reflective process? This is of immense interest to our readers.

SDI For me it really only began when the incident became a critical incident, i.e. when I became aware of it and began to reflect. So are you saying that you caused the incident be come critical?SDI No, no, a critical incident only becomes critical to the practitioner when one becomes aware of it . Yes of course Tripp said that critical incidents “…are rendered critical through analysis”. (Tripp D. 1993 p.24-25).SDI Exactly, and these are “commonplace occurrences in our daily routine” (ibid).

Ref lective News SDI Anyway I became aware of a negative feeling in relation to this incident and took action.

You took action?

SDI Yes, Initially I reflected on the incident and took typical action (single-loop learning) against and according to the –at that time- identified governing variables.

And what was the action? SDI Initially, my reaction was to say no to this person, but this was because I was annoyed! However thankfully I didn´t.I spoke to my wife about it and she advised me (in the most strongest terms, ha-ha..) to charge for these services. Well I decided to reflect on this situation using the reflective model of Atkins and Murphy. Firstly I built a table in which I set out the incident and the governing variables. Yes we have reproduced this table on page 16.

SDI Well the upshot of it all was the realisation that I must be more assertive and charge for my services.

So you are not assertive in business?

SDI Yes, yes, coming form Ireland we have a different business culture mentality

and this is restrictive on doing business here in Germany. To improve my practice I must pay more attention to this and change where necessary.

So business in Ireland is different?

SDI Of course, it´s just that, well, if someone asks me for a favour (in Ireland) it is just that, you will do it, within reason, and maybe receive a token of sorts as thanks. It is only when a more direct and formal request for a service is made, i.e. “we urgently need a translator, what are your terms and conditions, can you help?

Then it is clear, or in an informal situation, someone might ask “what do I owe you for that?” and you´ll answer “oh, it´s OK”. Their reply being, “no, no, no I insist…”; you accept and everyone is happy.

And the Germans?

SDI What I would consider a request for a favour and what a favour to a German means is quite different, so Fr. Vonderschmitt´s request if I could “help her “ was meant not on a personal level (as I had presumed) but on a business level. You see Germans are direct and to the point, they don´t beat around the bush, what they say is what they mean, and in business, business is always business (Graff G. & Schaupp G. 1995).

Have you resolved the matters arising from this critical incident?

SDI Yes and no. Directly with Fr. Vonderschmitt and the Institute, yes. But this clash of culture is not resolved. I will most definitely need to work at recognising these differences and being able to go against my Irish nature, ha.-ha… But identifying the problem is half the battle, so I believe I am well on the right road, and all thanks to Atkins and Murphy.

Ah, Atkins and Murphy, quite a pair. You mentioned your wife earlier, did she help with the resolution?

SDI Very much so, not just by giving me that initial spur to act, but in the later stages of the reflective cycle, when I was trying to evaluate the relevance (stage 4) and apply solutions. Indeed again after the completion of the reflective cycle, I got feedback on this method of reflection.

Is feedback necessary?

SDI No not always, but it certainly helps! You see as a self employed language teacher, I don`t have direct colleagues upon whom I can engage with, I am pretty much on my own. My students -who are my clients- can be a source of feedback, but as a professional I must at all times be seen as such in my clients´ eyes, so I must be careful in that regard.

Is this one of the issues that you previously mentioned that are yet to be resolved?

SDI Actually, yes. I am hoping to perhaps organise a peer coaching system, where I can gather in one place or forum, teachers of similar standing and reflect on ideas and issues such as this. In fact I am considering the possibility of conducting an action inquiry into this.

Ah, action inquiries, a topic for another day I think. Well I am sure all our readers wish you well with your future endeavours, thanks very much.

SDI Your welcome.