Columbus and the "Wring Route. Learning by Mistakes in Social Work.

Reflection and reflective practice are widely considered the basis for a skilled practitioner. The debate on this issue has been enriched by ideas from authors like Dewey, Freire, Polanyi, Schön, Argyris, Archer and many others. From different perspectives (philosophical, psychological, educational, sociological) they have given the theoretical background to understand how we can learn while doing. How can we turn from reflexivity as an abstraction to a reflective practice in health and social services? Reflection on mistakes and failures is a promising field in which to develop strategies for the reinforcement of professional skills in social workers and other professionals working with them. The metaphor of Columbus discovering America “by mistake” while looking for a new route to India can help develop a better comprehension of the potentialities of this kind of reflection and help social workers find new ways to face the complex problems of their clients. The result of a qualitative research undertaken in some Italian services and the review of some strategies (i.e. Gibb’s reflective cycle) for a structured reflection show that: • sometimes social workers “need” to make mistakes because paradoxically in many cases it is the only way to help the client in a long- term perspective and to learn how to reduce negative outcomes in health and social services; • both intuition and rational reasoning are needed in social work practice, but they often produce systematic errors. Reflecting on these mistakes makes us better understand how we think and feel (the dual-process model of Kahneman gives a framework for a better understanding of the whole process) and helps to correct our practice. At the same time open and structured discussions with colleagues about mistakes improve the quality of “learning organization” where people can express and receive criticism using effective strategies.