Chapter 2

Members' Level of Commitment

A group made up of members with commitment will be much easier to lead the one with members who have little or no commitment.

Beginning stage/the middle (working) stage/ the ending stage

All groups go through three stages, regardless of the type of group or style of leadership.

Group Size

Can definitely affect group dynamics, so the leader should pay close attention to the decision of how many members to have in the group. The size of the group will depend in part on its purpose, the length of time of each session, the setting available, and the experience of the leader. We suggest 5 to 8 as the ideal number of members for most groups. For groups with members from very diverse cultural backgrounds, the leader and members may be more comfortable with groups of no more than 5.

Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, and Harvill's 15 Therapeutic Forces

Clarity of purpose for both the leader and the members Relevance of purpose for the members Size of the group Length of each session Frequency of meetings Adequacy of the setting Time of day for both the leader and the members The leader's attitude Closed or open group Voluntary or nonvoluntary membership Members' level of commitment Level of trust among members Members' attitudes toward the leader The leader's experience and readiness to deal with groups Coleadership harmony

Coleadership Harmony

Coleading can be a very positive or negative force when leading a group. If the two leaders are in sync with each other, then it is almost always a positive force. When the leaders view group leading in two different ways, then coleading can serve as an antitherapeutic force.

Safe sharing

During the transition stage, members talk and share but nothing goes very deep or personal.

Length of Each Session

For members to feel invested in the group and in one another, enough time must be allotted for each session. If a group session is not long enough, members may feel they did not get their chance to share. Another problem that arises when insufficient time is allowed is that the group never really accomplishes much and the sharing never gets very personal.

The Leader's Experience in Leading Groups

For those who are just starting out, the therapeutic force of experience needs to be mentioned. A beginning leader may be an antitherapeutic force because the leader lacks skills, may be nervous, and will make mistakes. It the leader is nervous, it is important to recognize the and, if need be, mention it to the group.

Yalom's Curative Factors

Instillation of hope Universality Imparting of information Altruism Corrective recapitulation of the primary family group Development of socialization techniques Imitative behavior Interpersonal learning Group cohesiveness Catharsis Existential factors

The Leader's Attitude

It is common to hear group leaders express their inability to control negative members, which results in their disliking the group. If the group contains hostile, nonvoluntary members, the leader should try to find a way to get these members involved; however, if the members are completely resistant and negative, the leader may need to remove them from the group.

Closed or Open Grounds

Many groups are conducted as closed groups, that is, no new members are admitted once the group is established. Closed groups can be time limited and goal oriented. Many groups are also conducted on an open basis, members join and leave periodically.

Therapeutic Forces

Members want to feel accepted by the group Know what is expects Feel they belong Feel safe When these forces are absent, members tend to be negative, hostile, withdrawn, or apathetic. Negative forces create dynamics that require the leader's attention.

Voluntary or Nonvoluntary Membership

Naturally, it would be nice if all groups could be held on a voluntary basis. However, the courts and settings such as correctional institutions, residential treatment centers, and schools often mandate group participation.

Storming stage

Occurs in groups where there is tension due to the makeup of the group, the commitment of the members, the purpose of the group, and/or the approach of the leader. The more skilled the leader, the less likely there will be a storming stage, because the leader will do what is necessary to reduce the tension in the group.

Corey

Offers a six-stage model: formation, orientation, transition, working, consolidation, and follow-up.

Level of Trust

Problems of trust often occur when members have very different points of view.

Group process/group dynamics

Refer to the attitudes and interaction of group members and leaders.

Group process

Refers to the interaction and energy exchange between members and leaders, how the leader reacts to the members and how the members talk to one another and the leader.

The Beginning Stage

Refers to the time period used for introductions and for discussion of such topics as the purpose of the group, what to expect, fears, group rules, comfort levels, and the content of the group. In this stage, members are checking out other members and their own level of comfort with sharing in the group.

Tuckman

Reviewed studies of group development and found that there were five stage: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Forming and norming stages

Johnson and Johnson

Suggest a seven-stage model that explains members' development within a group: Defining and structuring procedures Conforming to procedures Recognizing mutuality and building trust Rebelling and differentiating Committing to and taking ownership for the goals, procedures, and other members Functioning maturely and productively Terminating

Members' Attitude Toward the Leader

The attitudes of the members toward the leader have to be considered when leading any group. Do they like him? Do they respect him? Do they trust him? Do they respect his group leadership skills? In most groups, members will have a variety of feelings toward the leader. Sometimes all the members may have negative feelings about the leader. In such a case, the leader needs to examine this dynamic, because it may have something to do with leaderhsip style or ability.

Therapeutic factors

The factors that influence the group dynamics.

Frequency of Meetings

The number of meetings per month depends on many different factors, the most important being the purpose of the group and the composition of the members. The key to the frequency of meetings is that they not be so frequent that they become boring and not so infrequent that each meeting is like a first session.

Relevance of purpose

The purpose must be relevant for the members.

Clarity of Purpose

The single most important therapeutic force is clarity of purpose; that is, the leader and the members must clearly understand the purpose of the group.

The Middle or Working stage

The stage of the group when the members focus on the purpose. In this stage, the members learn new material, thoroughly discuss various topics, complete tasks, or engage in personal sharing and therapeutic work. This stage is the time when members benefit from being in a group. During this stage, many different dynamics can occur because the members are interacting in several different ways. This is the time when members decide how much they want to get involved or share.

Time of Day

The time the group meets can be a negative force. If the group meets right after lunch or late in the day, the leader and the members may be tired. When setting up a group, the leader should choose a time that seems best for the majority of those involved.

Task Groups

The ways in which members interact may be the most important dynamic to monitor. This is especially true if the leader's task is one of team building. Often, task groups accomplish little because the members cannot get along well enough to work together. If this is the case, the leader must do some conflict resolution work or team building before getting to the task of the group. The leader must also be aware of the formation of cliques and plays for power and control.

Adequacy of the Setting

There are a number of things to consider regarding where the group meets. One is convenience. Members will tend to come regularly if the location is easily accessible. Of course, the choice of location is not always within the leader's control; but when it is, the leader should consider the convenience factor.

The Ending or Closing Stage

This stage is devoted to terminating the group. During this period, members share what they have learned, how they have changed, and how they plan to use what they have learned. Members also say goodbye and deal with the ending of the group.

Tuckman

describes fall within what we are calling the beginning stage, the period where members get comfortable with being in a group and figure out what is expected and what is going to happen.