What? So What? Now What?
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Gary Rolfe's framework is the most economical reflective model. What invites an objective description of what occurred, without evaluation or blame. So What interrogates meaning, asking what the event reveals about causes, patterns, or values. Now What converts that insight into a specific next action. Moving from description to significance to action produces the shortest cycle that still ends in change, which is why it is widely used in nursing, teaching, and professional debriefs.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use debrief opening: describe what happened before judging, explaining, or blaming anyone. - Use meaning probe: ask what the event reveals about the underlying causes at work. - Use action close: end every reflection with one committed and dated next step.
Anchor fast decisions
Unstructured reflection produces no output. Rolfe guides it with three questions: What happened, which describes the facts; So What, which extracts meaning and root causes; and Now What, which commits to action. Description leads to significance and significance leads to action, completing the shortest reflection loop that actually changes behaviour.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practiceverified
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