How can We Enhance Productivity in Social Work? Dynamically Reflective Structures, Dialogic Leadership and the Development of Transformative Expertise

Abstract

This article examines how to enhance the ability of managers to promote productivity through reflective structures and appreciatively evaluative dialogues based on front-line expertise and knowledge in social work practice. In order to discuss these ideas, we review the ideas of dialogical leadership and reflective structures, and the concept of productivity in relation to reassessing social work core tasks and the work-related well-being of social workers. We will present and reflect on our experiences and ideas generated from research that developed reflective tools, known as the Mirror method, for peer evaluation and practice development in social work. The Mirror method is designed as a tool for leaders and managers to enhance, through trialogic processes and structures, both the well-being of employees at the individual level and the productivity of social work and learning for transformation at the organizational level.

Keywords:

• reflective structures
• dialogic leadership
• productivity
• Mirror method
• peer evaluation
• transformative learning

Notes

^2. This is a fictional sequel to the case – although quite representative – since at the time when this case happened, the Observation form was not invented yet.

^1. This case is from the research data by Yliruka et al. (2009).