One of my dissertation subjects told a story about graduating from the War College and going to the new assignment, and on the first day was effectively told that what was learned would not be useful. The exigencies of the moment would consume all available time. The overprogramming of time has been a recurring theme -- whether in the field or in educational settings. A seemingly irresistible trend is to add new requirements to an already busy organization without full consideration of the workload already present. Although organizational members certainly appreciate being told they no longer have to do something, removing a requirement is incredibly difficult. Why is this and what can we do about it?

One clear answer is instituting reflection in one's professional life. Reflective thinking, reflective writing, reflective organizing are all possible if one can make them habits. Starting with the diaries of Eisenhower, I show how important reflection is and introduce several ideas and methods proposed by organizational scholars and practitioners. (This podcast series is about reflection as well...).