Using reflective practice as a management development tool in a Victorian Health Service

This paper reports on a research project undertaken at Northern Health Service in Melbourne, Australia to explore how reflective practice groups could be used to help managers develop improved management skills. Reflective practice is an approach to management and organization development that integrates, or links, thought and action with reflection. The six reflective practice groups met regularly for six months and were assisted by an external facilitator. An evaluation of the impact of the meetings was undertaken via a series of focus groups and interviews. The findings of this evaluation suggest that there is a place for reflective practice groups as a way of developing managers in health service organizations (particularly their people management skills) and that those in organizations responsible for management development should consider including reflective practice activities as part of a strategic and systematic management development strategy.