Reflective Practice

1. Reflective Practice Leadership Development Tool

2. Context • recognised that a key differentiator between places where people wanted to work and places where people did not want to work was “Leadership” • staff with varying degrees of training ie short courses to Masters • staff with varying degrees of experience

3. Context • needed ongoing development approach to maintain skill development • needed approach which provided opportunity for staff to reflect on whether “words matched actions” • needed approach which facilitated learning from each other

4. The Project – ‘Using Reflective Practice and action learning as strategic management tools’ • a twofold purpose: • make a contribution to the skill development of a group of managers at Northern Health Service (NHS) • produce data that could be used to develop better ways of using RP approaches in the health industry • action research was the research methodology used

5. Action Research • a family of research methodologies involving: • a collaborative problem solving relationship between researcher and client aimed at solving problems, building skills and generating new knowledge • this involves the researcher and client in collaborative cycles of planning, taking action, observing, reflecting and evaluating (Cherry, 1999, Dick, 1991 & Coglan & Brannick, 2001)

6. Reflective Practice • an approach to management and organisation development that integrates or links thought and action with reflection • ‘…a process of disengaging from or stepping back from an experience and taking time to deliberately and carefully review it, think about it and construct meaning from it’ (Doyle & Young, 2000, p. 18) • requires participants to assume the perspective of an external observer, to identify assumptions & feelings underlying their practice, how these impact their practice & determine if they need to change to be more effective

7. Reflective Practice Groups • they create a space different from the everyday activities of managers where participants can help one another, through cycles of reflection & action, explore the events, issues and feelings that stem from their roles, under the guidance of an experienced facilitator • can positively affect professional growth & development – leading to greater self-awareness • enable managers to distinguish their espoused theory & theory-in-use so their actions more closely reflect their intent • generate new knowledge about professional practice • can also be time-consuming & involve some personal risk as practice is questioned • require participants to be open to potentially sensitive aspects of their practice – beliefs, values and feelings

8. Project Design - what we did • the RPG’s: • agreement between RMIT and NHS to proceed based on previous work • ethics approval from RMIT & NHS • invitation to all managers at TNH & BHS • information sessions conducted • interested staff allocated to a group (6 in total) • RMIT staff member allocated to a group

9. What we did • Evaluation • 5 focus groups were conducted by an RMIT staff member who did not facilitate the group • 5 interviews were undertaken with senior managers whose staff had taken part • an interim and final report was provided to the NHS Executive with findings and recommendations • Analysis • data was transcribed and analysed using a modified form of grounded theory • Ethics approval was obtained from RMIT & NHS ethics committees

10. Findings – Focus Groups (1) • overwhelmingly a place where managers felt supported, could trust others when exploring issues & discussing risky/confidential matters, in a non-judgemental setting • enjoyed being challenged, opportunity for feedback, a much needed opportunity for time out to reflect on events, issues & feelings stemming from their roles • noticed modest but significant changes: • specific changes to behaviour eg. dealings with staff • need to develop support systems for selves as managers • more likely to stop and think & felt they had more options • more strategic • better able to delegate & handle difficult interpersonal situations

11. Focus Groups (2) • Contributing factors: • positive group dynamics – listening, developing trust, being non-judgemental • the presence of a skilled facilitator was important to: • manage the group • model appropriate behaviours • offer ideas based on practical & theoretical knowledge • provides an outsider perspective • Improvements • these focussed on meeting frequency (fewer/longer), group composition (similar levels in hierarchy & site based, mixed regarding professional background) and group size (not too small)

12. Senior Management Interviews (1) • assessment of the impact of RPG’s based on conversations with members & direct observations • some limitations in opportunities to observe direct reports • reported a number of general benefits & particularly noted that participants had more insight into the impact of their own behaviour, especially those with no formal management training • RPG participants reported the value of time & space to discuss issues especially related to managing staff • capacity to network with peers they previously had little contact with • work in RPG’ contributing positively to other change efforts

13. Senior Management Interviews (2) • changes they observed focussed on general improvements in a broad range of skills especially communication & interpersonal skills and the capacity to take more initiative • at least three of the groups planned to continue to meet • wanted to see RPG’s implemented more strategically (to increase the pace of change) & broadly (in the longer term) • participation should be part of a mgt development activity • managers have an important role in helping staff involved consolidate their learning • senior managers needed to commit to RPG’s if they expected staff to • preference for groupings based on similar levels in hierarchy and mixed in terms of professional backgrounds

14. The collaboration • the staff from NHS and RMIT designed, conducted and evaluated the project collaboratively – owning it and shaping it jointly • we met as a RPG throughout • research, learning, organisational action and reflection were integrated • organisational benefits & impacts are beginning to be felt, learnings about the doing of reflective practice in busy organisational contexts are developing and research/knowledge outcomes emerging for both parties • relationships strengthened

15. Where to now? • include reflective practice as part of an overall leadership development strategy • complement reflective practice with opportunities for leadership training, seminars and tertiary education • facilitate reflective practice sessions explore organisational identified issues and participant identified issues