Laceweb - Healing Group
Processes
Sociomedicine
and Sociotherapy Written 1997. Updated April 2014.
Organic
Group Action and Process Group
Process - Acquiring group process micro-experiences Group
Process - Organic leadership competencies Group
Process - Refining specific micro-experiences Group
Process - Synergetic group behaviour Group
process - Types of dysfunctional behaviour Group
Process - Using structured experiences and games in group-building
ORGANIC
GROUP ACTION AND PROCESS The
Laceweb is an informal network of indigenous and intercultural people who use
self help action to heal aspects of their wellbeing. This informal network
has been evolving throughout the SE Asia Pacific region since the mid 1940's.
A background and historical timeline is contained in Communal Ways for
Healing the World. Typically,
Laceweb action is voluntary. Organic group processes are used which differ in
many respects from 'top-down' linear group action. With Laceweb action,
individuals and small groups of people take action together and then review
their outcomes - what is called, 'action research'. Often action remains
exploratory and tentative for some time. Actions that work may be repeated.
Laceweb action tends to be a very informal process. A person may take solitary
action and mull over what happens. Others may be told and they also may try
something similar and mull over their outcomes - refer An Example of Enabling Indigenous Wellbeing.
The two may discuss and compare their outcomes. Others may be told and some
of them may also 'have a go'. Then some of these separate 'energies' may join
together on some action. Different
people may be engaged in differing action. It may remain uncoordinated and
eclectic and only after a time gel into the synchronised and harmonious. It
may never gel, and remain loose wellbeing actions. Organic
action operates without foundations. It is inherently unstable. It is chaotic
with order emerging (*) naturally from chaos (*). Actions start because one
or more act. It may continue while the energy is there for it. No
one is in charge, or more particularly, everyone involved plays a part. It
may have little pre-planning and little prior organising. Often cultural
contexts support this tentative organic process. Often,
for some Laceweb actions, no group decisions are ever made. This may
appear weird to those who have viewed a 'group decision' as a necessary
precondition for group action. In a Laceweb action, people may be thoroughly
familiar with each other and their contexts. The unfolding action may be
communally lived. It may be the stuff of storytelling, of campfire
discussion, of 'walking the talk' and 'talking the walk'. 'The things to do'
may just emerge from this communal process. The specific action may make
sense because it has emerged sensibly - from the sharing of the senses of all
immersed in the unfolding. In
group contexts someone may 'read' that a level of consensus exists and
suggest that something happen at a certain time and place. If, when the time
comes, a number of others are there ready at the designated place and
willing to engage in some activity, then the person has read the group well.
If this happens a number of times, then such initiators tend to play a useful
role in the life of the group as a leader/orchestrator. Note that
these people have no formal role or authority. Alternatively, if no one
turns up, they have misread the group and they have a way to go in refining
their group process micro-experiences. Typically
there may be no such thing as THE group. People may gather without any desire
to form an ongoing group or a group in any formal sense. A subset of these
may meet later. Others may join them. It may evolve into a continuing
'group'. If so, it may remain a very informal group. It may disband and
possibly reform. People may be more 'part' of the group, rather than
'members' in any formal sense. Some groups tend to have a floating
participation. Other small groups may remain active for years as a very strong
mutual support network. Paradoxically, the shear tentativeness of Laceweb
action is its strength. The
organic nature of Laceweb action may be kept in mind in exploring the
following material. This next section outlines many micro-experiences for organic
group processes. It may appear that these micro-experiences tend towards a
top down, highly planned and organised process, with an almost relentless
pursuit of pre-specified desired outcomes. This is just not the case. As
people gain more of the micro-experiences, the process may become even
more richly organic. Action typically does not revert to a top down
process. If it does, it ceases to be Laceweb action. Laceweb action remains a
lateral matrix or weblike process. It tends to remain eclectic with a
pervasive wellbeing focus. A
brief set of notes about enabling learning in group contexts. The
term Enabling involves creating and/or fostering physical and
psycho-social contexts and climates within the group and encouraging the
sharing of healing ways. These actions may in turn foster and enhance group
members' capacity for personal and group empowerment in extending abilities,
in making effective responses and in taking effective action together to
reach outcomes. The
term Event is used to denote either a prearranged or spontaneous
gathering with a spontaneously unfolding healing wellbeing context. The
term Event Enabler (EE) is used to denote the group's primary Enabler.
The EE may provide some structural process within the Event,
particularly to activities having the primary focus of participant's learning
by experiencing their own interaction with others. The following are examples
of some Laceweb Events taken from the Laceweb Timeline in Communal Ways for
Healing the World.
Refer
the Laceweb Timeline for some details of the above Events in Communal Ways for
Healing the World. ORIENTATING
PARTICIPANTS
The
EE/S may arrange that participants enter the Event knowing none, some or all
of the following:
SETTING
UP ANTICIPATION FOR THE EVENT EE/S
may set up the 'entry' phase; for example:
All
the above may energise and build curiosity, anticipation and enthusiasm for
the Event.
NORMS
Event
and group behavioural norms may be unobtrusively conveyed, modelled,
monitored and upheld by the EE and co-EEs prior, during and after the Event.
For example, refer helping,
stimmung, sovereignty, frame, adaptive challenge, and context. CONTENT
AND META-CONTENT Typically,
what happens is in the participant's hands, not the enablers and particularly
not the EE. Participants may have a sense of the kind of wellbeing things
they want to embrace, explore and resolve during their time together. They
may have this from the outset and/or as the Event unfolds. The
EE may have a host of experiences and processes that participants may want to
try out. While the EE may have a vague structural process to possibly use at
the start of the Event, typically the Event processes soon become spontaneous
in their organic unfolding. This spontaneity is also discussed in the Cultural Healing Action page. For
example, in the Pineapple Workshop mentioned above, only the first six
minutes was structured by the EE. The next three hours evolved from the
spontaneous unfolding of group creativity spark and verve. The EE added to
this as one of the group rather than as 'EE'. PROCESS
AND META-PROCESS Meta-processes
are processes about or relating to or for monitoring other processes. Typically
the EE has an ever widening range of process options - aspects that have been
passed on within the Laceweb as been helpful in evolving nurturing ways. As
well, the EE's have meta-processes that the EE, other enablers and
participants are using. Initially,
participants may have no awareness of the massive number of process options
that the enablers are using. EE's
and other enablers may intentionally, or spontaneously/ intuitively use
process options.
WHAT
PARTICIPANTS DO AND ARE ABLE TO DO DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT Typically,
this is entirely in the hands of participants. The EE and any other enablers
present are there as resource people.
EE'S
PROCESS-MONITORING ROLE
EE's
tend to be continually expanding and improving their process and meta-process
micro-experiences. EE's
also tend towards developing their perceptual capacity to be able to
continually monitor, during all aspects of the event, both the processes and
meta-processes being used by all those participating, including the EE and
other enablers. For
example: What
is this group's non verbal communication suggesting that we do next? For
example:
What,
if any, aspects (in sensory specific terms(*)) - will I be looking for,
hearing and feeling:
For
example, to see people increasing their recognition and pleasure
(note VAK (*) that:
Are
we achieving these outcomes? Are
we on target to achieve some more global outcomes? What
are the participants' verbal and non-verbal content and process behaviours
(both conscious and unconscious) telling me to do or not to do next or in a
short time?
ACTION
RESEARCH MODE EE(s)
may monitor:
(individual/sub-group, group)
EE(s)
may monitor
the following outcomes:
Note
that some outcomes may emerge out of the shared time together. The EE does
not impose his or her outcomes. Rather, EE seeks the realising (making real)
of the desires of the participants with attention to ecology (psycho-social
wellbeing (*), Refer sovereignty (*).
FURTHER
PROCESS AND METAPROCESS OPTIONS EE's
may use the following process options:
EE's
may use the following process options:
(I'll
stop you from time to time.......)
EE's
may use the following process options:
STRUCTURING
OF FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION The
EE may structure a process for participants to internally reflect on their
experience, discuss these experiences and insights and give feedback to
others. USE
OF PROCESS OBSERVERS
The
EE may suggest that some people may want to take on a process observer role
and for this to be either a structured or unstructured role. The
EE may give suggestions as to when and how process observers may want to give
helpful and ecological feedback to other participants. Being
Ecological means for feedback to be:
It
involves:
Ecological
feedback excludes:
For
example, a group of process observers may be set up who share their
observations prior to providing feedback to the group. They may quietly swap
observations during the group activity. Enablers and/or the EE may observe
this sharing to ensure that 'feedback' is 'shaped' so that it is ecological
before it is shared as feedback to relevant individuals and the group. Often
there are common learnings. Sometimes each participant is learning different
things from the experiences - things that may have personal relevance and
validity. Often they may have learnings that they do not immediately
appreciate. They may have insights that come to them in the coming days and
weeks; some insights may come to them in particular contexts that have
similar aspects to segments of their experience during the Event. The
EE may set up activities and micro-experiences as isomorphic metaphors for
some aspect of group or individual experience. An 'isomorphic metaphor'
is an activity that closely mirrors the participants' behaviours, ideas and
feelings present in some segment of group behaviour without being explicit
about it. The metaphoric activity is set up whereby ecological and effective
behaviours lead to the resolution of ineffective and dysfunctional behaviour.
Laceweb experience shows that this is a powerful learning process that
minimises critical and judgemental behaviour sabotaging the change. Isomorphs
are things that closely resemble others. EEs can also use isomorphic
storytelling to achieve similar aims The
EE can structure specific experiences so they are powerful metaphors (refer Healing Storytelling). The
EE can schedule the timing of process-feedback by observers. Process feedback
can be aided by the EE. Finesse
in timing feedback allows participants the opportunity to flexibly move to
ecological behaviour while the experience is still in progress so they
experience success in achieving some desired outcomes rather than experience
failure.
SEQUENCING
OF EVENT
Activities
may be linked. The
sequence of activities may be neither random or tightly structured. The group
will 'tell' the EE in subtle ways what to do next. For example:
EE'S
ROLE IN PACING THE EVENT
One
of the EE ' s roles may be pacing. For example:
ON-THE-SPOT
JUDGEMENTS
The
EE may make on-the-spot judgements about:
(See
'Use of process observers)
SPECIFIC
EE ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOURS
Verbal
and nonverbal behaviours "says the same thing" (being congruent).
For
example: It's
no good saying "You will find this interesting." with a doubtful,
hesitant tone and a bored disinterested looking expression. Every
aspect of EE's behaviour assumes participants will follow suggestions.
Examples:
'Okay,
you'll enjoy the next thing.....
'Right, perhaps you may
like to get into groups of four now and ....' (Note
the embedded command - in italics)
GROUP PROCESSES - ACQUIRING GROUP PROCESS
MICRO-EXPERIENCES
GROUP
PROCESS MICRO-EXPERIENCES A
process is 'how' something happens. A metaprocess is a process about
processes. Some
groups with very poor and problematic processes achieve superb results. Other
groups with highly refined and seemingly excellent processes may have totally
insignificant results.
Process
is only part of the dynamic. Tenacious determination and persistence - real
'fire in the belly' - seems to be an important element. Some action people
appear very quiet and invisible - yet they get on with the job - often with
very few experiential processes. Those few experiential processes they do
have and use, work! Given
this, improving process experiences may contribute to action.
MICRO-EXPERIENCES
FOR GROUP METAPROCESS TASK ROLES (functions
enabling the selecting and carrying out of group process task roles)
MICRO-EXPERIENCES
FOR REFINING AND MAINTAINING GROUP PROCESS
MICRO-EXPERIENCES
FOR GROUP PROCESS TASK ROLES
MICRO-EXPERIENCES
FOR GROUP PROCESS ON TASK AS WELL AS MAINTAINING, BUILDING, STRENGTHENING AND
REFINING GROUP LIFE AND OUTCOMES
MICRO-EXPERIENCES FOR GROUP METAPROCESS ON
TASKS
RAPPORT:
People in natural rapport
tend to start mirroring each other’s behaviour, e.g. they talk at the same
speed and volume, they acknowledge each other. Refer rapport (*). UPTIME:
Having
all senses focused on external experience and attending to the group's
process and content. Refer uptime (*). DOWNTIME:
Silence: entering into
internal activity to recall past experience, tapping creative resources,
generating new ideas, contemplating possible futures and thinking through
ideas. Refer downtime (*). GROUP
DOWNTIME: Having all members go
silent for a time to enter into downtime; may be used for creative
innovating, evaluating, synthesising, and interrupting dysfunctional
behaviour. ATTENDING:
Using uptime (see above),
having all of one's senses on the other group member's verbal and non verbal
behaviour (as opposed to being lost in thought or recalling past or possible
future events). DISCUSSION
LEADING Enabling (*) all group
members, even the quiet ones, to effectively contribute to the discussing and
bringing up of matters before the group. The discussion leader typically
talks less than anyone else. The role is to foster other members
talking, as well as others taking up all of the differing roles, including
clarifying and summarising, explored in these notes. There may be more than
one discussion leader. INITIATING
ACTIVITY: Using new approaches and
processes for resolving issues; getting action started; proposing and
following through on new initiatives; suggesting and implementing action on
new ideas and proposals based on new ways of seeing, feeling and thinking. PRECISION
INFORMATION GATHERING: Note: These experiences
are used sparingly with an 'outcome' focus, otherwise we may get redundant
information; operating on a 'need to know' basis. Using Metamodel (*):
Examples:
Generalisation - 'Our people were
upset.' Who specifically were upset? Deletion - 'People were upset
about who or what specifically? Impossibility
Distortion
- 'We can't do it.' 'What prevents you?' 'What would happen if you did do
it?' Distortion - 'We have to do it.'
'What would happen if you did not do it?' Universal
distortion
- All our people are up in arms about this! Everybody? Who are not so
concerned? VISIONING
AND IMAGING: Forming
visual images in one's mind and entering into a full sensory experience of
seeing, hearing and feeling what is happening in the image. Refer exploring
possible futures (*). SEEKING
OPINIONS Requesting
other's point of view (thoughts, views and feelings about issues; clarifying
values. GIVING
OPINIONS: Stating
a belief or opinion about a proposition, particularly about its comparative
value rather than its factual basis. SEEKING
INFORMATION: Asking
for the clarifying of ideas and suggestions; requesting additional
information or facts. INFORMATION:
Offering
facts or generalisations from personal experience about an issue to
illustrate and increase understanding of a point. LEFT
BRAIN/RIGHT BRAIN THINKING: Left
brain:
Linear, logical, rational, analysing, sequential, vertical thinking,
convergent thinking, '2+2=4' type knowing. Right
Brain:
matrices, metaphor, synthesis, patterns, lateral thinking, divergent thinking,
fluid knowing - as in 'knowing a person'. ANALYSING
AND SYNTHESING: Analysing
- breaking into small chunks and scrutinising. Synthesising - building a
whole by combining and integrating. Refer chunking (*). ELABORATING:
Giving
more detail about an action or proposition; clarifying by expanded comment;
giving examples; developing or extending meanings; setting out a vision about
how a proposal might work out if adopted or how the action is actually
working out. PARAPHRASING:
Feeding
back the essence of what another has said. Paraphrasing usually emphasises
the cognitive or content part of the message. Paraphrasing may clarify
confused content. It may tie a number of recent comments together and
highlight issues by stating them more concisely. Sometimes members may
paraphrase their own comments. SUMMARISING:
Using
a few words to sum up the main ideas contained in a section of group
discussion. Synthesising or pulling together related ideas or suggestions;
re-stating suggestions, proposals and discussions after the group has
finished discussing them. Summarising helps members make more sense out of
discussion, particularly if there are a multiple points of view, diverging
opinions and a lot of detail. CLARIFYING:
Rephrasing
your own comments or those of another person in a way that enables members to
more easily understand the ideas being presented; may extend the comments to
explore the functional advantages of the comments and the actual or possible
outcomes of the comments. TESTING
FEASIBILITY: Actions
that enable ideas and actions to be evaluated, for example, carrying out an
action to check outcomes or seeking feedback on people's views, thoughts and
feelings at a certain stage of the discussion to test where 'everyone is at'
on a particular issue. Pilot action research; applying proposals in a small
way in a pilot action in real situations to explore outcomes relating to the
practicality and workability of ideas; enabling pre-evaluating of proposals
and decisions. QUESTIONING:
Asking
direct, directive and non-directive questions as
appropriate to context. Examples:
Direct Highly
specific. Example:
How many villages are in the valley? Directive
Asks about a particular
theme and leaves scope for response. Example:
Perhaps you can tell me about the villages. Non-directive
Allows
a person maximum scope as to what they talk about. Example:
Perhaps you can speak a little about what's been happening? Some
cautioning and observing on using questions: A
question based conversation may be very controlling - the questioner
controlling the 'agenda'. Only the questioner's questions are introduced.
Some very important matters may be excluded because 'that question was not
asked'. A
string of questions may have the other feeling like they are being
interrogated, especially a string of direct questions. Using
open ended questions early in a conversation may have the other floundering
because they lack a context. It may help to get the words flowing if we specify
a context and start with some direct questions. Directive
questions can allow a chunk of the conversation to be framed as being about
say, 'healing action in the next valley'. Open
ended questions allow the other maximum scope as to context, frame and
content. Encouraging a person to share what they want to explore without
using any questions at all may allow even further scope for us to discover their
experiencing of their world without intruding with our
preconceptions. Little head nods and verbal acknowledgments (mm...right...huh
huh....yes... and the like) can act as 'minimal encouragers' to keep them
talking. TASK
STANDARD SETTING: Specifying task output
quality, quantity, cost, material specifications, timeframe and the like. OUTPUT
RECORDING: Ensuring that the ideas,
comments, micro-actions, insights, cautions, failures, conclusions and other
outputs are recorded and fed back to the group as appropriate to context. DEVIL'S
ADVOCATE: To
encourage the group to test for weaknesses in proposed ideas and actions.
What have they overlooked? What could go wrong? What actions can the group
take if things start to go wrong? Refer downside planning (*). DOWNSIDE
PLANNING Downside
planning explores everything that could 'go wrong' with a current action and
the consequences of these things going wrong for all those involved and then
uses these understandings to make changes to the current action. SPECIFYING
TASK DESIRED OUTCOME: Detailing
in sensory specific terms (what we can see, touch, hear, feel) our group task
output (including standards) at specific future times.
MICRO-EXPERIENCES FOR GROUP PROCESS ON
TASKS NOTES:
Most
groups involved in Laceweb action incorporate processes with the following elements.
Each element has associated micro-experiences. People tend to be strong in
some micro-experiences and less strong in others. This is not a linear step
by step process. Because of the 'action research' and 'eclectic' nature of
self help action, any of the steps may be happening at the same time. Using
a strong micro-experience effectively in an inappropriate context is may be a
major cause of poor functioning. For example, promoting a personal
idea during the innovating stage so that everyone else's creativity is
stifled.
ADVISING Gathering
and sharing the available information. INNOVATING
Generating
new ideas and new ways of doing things. PROMOTING Exploring
new ideas and promoting these ideas to others. DEVELOPING Assessing
new ideas and developing them to work in practice. COORDINATING Coordinating
people and resources for action. ACTING Acting
and evolving/developing outputs (perhaps with some wellbeing standard as a
guide for action) REVIEWING How
well did the group evolve its outputs: attention to detail, quality
standards, time? MAINTAINING How
well did the group maintain its standards? Support each other? LINKING How
well was the work of individuals integrated and coordinated to achieve group
aspirations? ENABLING How
well did the group create a context and climate maximising personal and group
empowerment (extending abilities, in making effective responses, in taking
effective action together in enriching wellbeing? SPECIFYING
DESIRED OUTCOMES
A
time linked sensory specific (what we have; can see, hear, touch, feel and
know) statement specifying standards (quantity, quality and cost) of group
output. TASK What
we do to achieve the desired outcome TASK
PROCESS
How
we do the task METAPROCESS The
processes used to attend to and refine the group process UP
TIME FOCUS
All
senses attending to both the group's content and process ATTENDING
TO:
METAMODEL The
model used to specify and enrich Group Process What
were examples of effective and dysfunctional:
The
processes used by the group to evolve and implement task process GROUP
PROCESS TASK ROLES PAIRS ENABLER
- LINKER REPORTER
- ADVISOR CREATOR
- INNOVATOR EXPLORER
- PROMOTER ASSESSOR
- DEVELOPER ORCHESTRATOR
- COORDINATOR CONCLUDER
- PRODUCER MONITOR
- INSPECTOR UPHOLDER
- MAINTAINER
PAIRS
OF ACTIONS
ENABLING
- TRANSDUCING REPORTING
- ADVISING CREATING
- INNOVATING EXPLORING
- PROMOTING ASSESSING
- DEVELOPING ORCHESTRATING
- COORDINATING CONCLUDING
- PRODUCING CONTROLLING
- INSPECTING UPHOLDING
- MAINTAINING INTEGRATING
- LINKING
REFINING TASK MICRO-EXPERIENCES
ADVISING How
well did the group gather and share the available information? Evolving
desired outcomes?
INNOVATING
How
good was the group at generating new ideas and new ways of doing things? Evolving
desired outcomes? Using synergistic processes? PROMOTING How
well did the group explore new ideas? How well did individuals sell these
ideas to others? Using synergistic process? Evolving desired outcomes?
DEVELOPING How
well did the group assess new ideas and develop them to work in practice? Using
synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying task? Specifying
task process? CORDINATING How
well did the group coordinate its people and resources to achieve its
objectives? Using
synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying task? Specifying
task process?
PRODUCING Did
the group develop its outputs on time and to high standards of effectiveness and
efficiency? Using synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes?
Specifying task? Specifying task process? INSPECTING How
well did the group control its outputs: attention to detail, quality
standards, time? Using
synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying task? Specifying
task process?
MAINTAINING How
well did the group maintain its standards? Support each other? Using
synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying task? Specifying
task process? LINKING How
well was the work of individuals integrated and coordinated to achieve group
goals? Using synergistic process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying
task? Specifying task process? ENABLING How
well did the group create a context and climate maximising personal and group
empowerment (extending abilities, in making effective responses, in taking effective
action together to reach mutually agreed outcomes? Using synergistic
process? Specifying desired outcomes? Specifying task? Specifying task
process? GROUP PROCESS MICRO-EXPERIENCES THAT
MAINTAIN, BUILD, STRENGTHEN AND REFINE GROUP LIFE AND OUTCOMES
SPECIFYING
GROUP PROCESS DESIRED OUTCOMES: Some
groups may evolve a commitment to continual improvement. They may tend to
specify desired outcomes relating to the group process they will use in the
ensuing interaction. This may involve detailing in sensory specific terms
(what we can see, touch, hear, feel) their group process output (including
standards) during the interaction. Note that early in Laceweb action the
focus is the content of the action. There may be little notice of process. Action
may be neither 'issue based' nor 'desired outcome based'. Some groups may go
for the above 'process refining' as a part of their action. GROUP
PROCESS STANDARD SETTING: Again,
some groups may move to setting some standards for various aspects of group
process. Others are so totally immersed in their actions that they give
little or no thought to 'navel gazing'. Standard
setting involves the group in choosing certain process standards against
which to evaluating action. This may allow the group to refining it's
processes in enabling and linking as well as the eight key aspects of group
process namely, Advising, Innovating, Promoting, Developing, Organising,
Producing, Inspecting and Maintaining Shared
and commonly known group process standards may act as a reminder for the
group to maintain, monitor, evaluate and refine these group standards. ENCOURAGING:
Being
warm, friendly and responsive to others; supporting, recognising and praising
others and their ideas; agreeing with and/or accepting the contributions of
others. EXPRESSING
PERCEIVED GROUP FEELINGS:
Acting
as a 'mood meter' in seeking and summarising what the group or sub-groups'
feelings are sensed to be, describing reactions of the group or sub groups to
issues, ideas, actions, solutions and the like. GATE
KEEPING: Making
it possible for another member to make a contribution to the group, for
example, by saying, 'Notice that some have not spoken yet - anyone who has
not spoken want to speak now?' Suggesting a limited talking time for a while
so everyone who wants to have a say will have a chance to be heard. FOLLOWING:
Supporting
the decisions or intentions of the group. If a member is not in favour of the
decision or shared intention, to passively go along with accepting the ideas
and if appropriate to act as a member of the monitoring, evaluation and
review processes relating to that decision or intention. Also, serving as an
audience during group discussions, decision-making and other processes. MICRO-EXPERIENCES FOR BOTH GROUP PROCESS ON
TASK AS WELL AS MAINTAINING, BUILDING, STRENGTHENING AND REFINING GROUP LIFE
AND OUTCOMES The
following micro-experiences enable the strengthening and maintaining of group
life and activities as well as enabling the group to complete tasks. ENABLING
Creating
a physical and psycho-social context and climate within the group that
maximises the group members' capacity for personal and group empowerment in
extending their abilities, in making effective responses, and in taking
effective action together to reach mutually agreed outcomes. MAINTAINING
RAPPORT Pacing
others behaviour, eg the same speed and volume, acknowledge others; focusing
all senses on the other group members verbal and non verbal behaviour;
recognising when rapport is dropping or lost and taking active pacing steps
to regain rapport. LISTENING
Maintaining
internal silence and attending to the verbal and non verbal aspects of
another's behaviour. Good listening is evidenced by the ability to give
'straight' reporting of what another has said, that is not necessarily
verbatim, but words carrying the same meaning. ATTENDING
TO AND MONITORING PROCESS AND CONTENT Have
all senses focused on both the process ('how'' the group is working) and the content
('what' the group is working on). Note that typically people are very poor at
process attending and become locked in and engrossed on content or are at
times dissociated from virtually everything that is happening and instead are
'lost' in thought. Good attending micro-experiences are typically accompanied
by good monitoring and capacity to recall and give feedback as appropriate to
context. COORDINATING
AND LINKING
Showing
or setting up inter-relationships among various actions, ideas or suggestions;
pulling ideas and suggestions together; assisting in drawing together
activities of various sub-groups or members. DIAGNOSING
Finding
out the sources of difficulties and blocks to progress; exploring appropriate
'next steps'. EVALUATING
OUTCOMES
Submitting
group process, decisions, actions or accomplishments to comparison with group
standards; evaluating action outcomes against desired outcomes. RELIEVING
TENSION
Using
verbal and non-verbal behaviours and processes that appropriately reduce the
levels of aversive or negative feeling in the group. Examples:
MEDIATING
VALUING
Fully
attending to, acknowledging and respecting other group members and their contributions;
separating the person from their dysfunctional behaviour and valuing the
person. SEEKING
COOPERATION Processes
that enable, foster, support and sustain members cooperating with each other
in achieving synergistic outcomes (refer 'Seeking synergetic outcomes').
SEEKING
CONSENSUS Processes
that enable (refer 'Enabling'), foster, support and sustain moves towards and
reaching mutual agreement on synergetic outcomes and actions (refer 'Seeking
synergetic outcomes') TESTING
FOR CONSENSUS Sending
up 'trial balloons' to test group opinions; asking for the group's opinions
in order to find out if the group is nearing consensus about a particular
issue. CHALLENGING
Asking
a member in a functionally useful way to add further to the discussion or
provide factual information, or examples to give weight to a particular
proposition, or dispel doubt . SEEKING
SYNERGISTIC OUTCOMES
Having
the group's outputs better than the best individual output (refer 'Seeking
Synergetic outcomes').
MICRO-EXPERIENCES FOR BOTH GROUP PROCESS ON
TASK AS WELL AS MAINTAINING, BUILDING, STRENGTHENING AND REFINING GROUP LIFE
AND OUTCOMES (contd) The
following micro-experiences enable the strengthening and maintaining of group
life and activities as well as enabling the group to complete tasks. (contd)
The
following section is under preparation:
GROUP
PROCESSES - ORGANIC LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES Any
member of a group can enter into the leader role Some
sections of the following are under preparation: ACTING
ADVOCATING
APPRECIATING
Helping
sustain a nurturing spirit in the group through providing ongoing positive
feedback, recognition and appreciation. ATTENDING
(*) BONDING
BOUNDARY
RIDING BRAINSTORMING
CATALYSING
CLARIFYING
COACHING
CONFLICT
RESOLVING COORDINATING
ELABORATING
EMERGENCE
EMPOWERING
Acting
as an enabler, supporter, encourager and resource person for others in
evolving their micro-experiences and in them joining with others in self help
action addressing wellbeing needs. ENABLING
(*) ENERGISING
FACILITATING
FRAMING
(*) LISTENING
& ACTING Truly
hearing and understanding other group member's ideas and needs; acting truly
in response to understandings shared with others. MEDIATING
MENTORING
ORCHESTRATING
Taking
an orchestrating role and working with people in the group as if they are
orchestra members, each of whom plays a part and contributes to the overall effectiveness
of the group; melding performers together so they act in concert. NEGOTIATING
PROCESS
OBSERVING RECOGNISING
SHAPING
Sharing
vision, values and actions with other group members and together shaping the
group's strategies and actions around the group and local people's wellbeing
needs and desires. SUPPORTING
Helping
group members obtain what they need to engage self help action SYNTHESISING
SUMMARISING
REFINING SPECIFIC MICRO-EXPERIENCES Refining
Group Member's Micro-experiences as Facilitators & Enablers:
GROUP
PROCESSES - SYNERGETIC GROUP BEHAVIOUR
This
segment explores the processes for obtaining an ideal - what is called
'synergetic outcomes'. Synergy can be defined as: 'to
get a group result better than the best individual result'
The
ideal is to work towards generating 'group ideas' that are better than those
of an individual member or sub-group. Early
in Laceweb action people typically come together to do something and just get
on with it. Perhaps some of the most valuable Laceweb action happens this
way. Locals have a strong sense of what is needed and a fire in their bellies
to do something now! Typically, there is little thought about building the
group as a functioning unit. The
group rarely focuses on the process of how work gets done. Examples:
After
a while, natural enablers and those with a feel or action research may begin
noticing aspects of how they are doing things - what is called 'group
process'. Some of these processes may be noted while reviewing outcomes.
There
are many ways to enrich group process. Sometimes micro-experienced enablers
may be available to 'fast-track' enrichment of process. One
idea that is often highly valued in group contexts, but to be questioned, is
the idea of winning - of being number one - to beat someone else. Closely
linked to the idea of winning is the idea of competing. This formal thinking
results in highly competitive behaviour in group situations. There is a
pre-supposition that competition gets best results or better results.
However, competition often means creating not only winners, but powerful
losers. The persuasive member that 'wins' in getting a poor idea
accepted is detracting from group results. Another closely related idea is
'either/or' thinking; such that the world gets translated into
'win/lose'.
Competition
is to be questioned - along with 'either/or' thinking. Typically,
we can get group results better than individual results when:
Some
suggestions to achieve consensus on group ideas such that they are better
than the best individual ideas:
GROUP PROCESS - TYPES OF DYSFUNCTIONAL
BEHAVIOUR Sometimes, group members
behave in dysfunctional ways that are either not helpful or actually
harmful. Some examples of
dysfunctional behaviour are described below. NOTE: Judging, blaming, and
condemning are almost invariably destructive behaviours (unless used for
demonstration). 'Dysfunctional' behaviour
within a group may be viewed as an indicator that all is not well with the
group's ability to satisfy individual and group needs through group-centred
activity. It is useful to recognise
that any bit of behaviour may be interpreted differently and have different
meaning for individual members. For example, what one person sees as 'Horsing
around' another may perceive as 'Usefully relieving tension". WITHDRAWAL:
COMPETING:
(refer 'Seeking
synergetic outcomes') BEING AGGRESSIVE:
FACTIONALISING:
BLOCKING:
SPECIAL PLEADING:
HORSING AROUND:
SEEKING RECOGNITION:
SEEKING SYMPATHY:
Attempting to have group
members sympathetic to one's position in order to gain competitive support
for ones ideas, e.g. sympathetic to one’s personal misfortunes and problems
(Refer 'Seeking synergetic outcomes').
RESPONDING IN THE
PRESENCE OF DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR For
any of the above behaviours use interrupt patterns (Refer
Coming to One’s Sense – By the Way for Interrupt patterns. Immediately
redirect group focus to any behaviours present in the Group that are
Functional in Context. Refer, Dr Neville Yeomans’ Group Process in Cultural
Keyline – the Life Work of Dr Neville Yeomans. GROUP
PROCESSES - USING STRUCTURED EXPERIENCES AND GAMES IN GROUP-BUILDING Rationale:
Another paper on
Laceweb Sociomedicine and Sociotherapy: Wounded
Healer - Wounded Group |
