MOVE - Moderation and Visualization for Group ... - INSPIRATION

Difficul t situatio
n…
…and
how
to
handle
it
A few
participants
monopolize
discussions
A participant
goes
off
on
a
lengthy
tangent
unrelated
to
the
current
discussion
Some
participants
continually
hold
private
conversations
A participant
expresses
disagreement
with
what
the
moderator
says
Some
participants
do
not
take
part
at
all
during
discussions
The The group group life life cycle
cycle
Working in small groups offers one of the most
promising environments for overcoming
‘difficult situations.’ Ringleaders and experts
have a limited chance to stand out, shy participants
dare to express themselves informally, and
social pressure gets laid-back persons to work.
Participants quickly learn about each others’
strengths and weaknesses. Also, they will develop
a mode to balance those characteristics, understanding
soon that a group is more than the sum
of its individual members. Still, as the moderator,
you should always observe the emotional
state of the group, its social relationships, and
group dynamics. There are typical stages in the
group learning process:
Forming. orming. orming. The group is still a set of individuals
trying to establish an identity from within,
and the members are still familiarizing
themselves with one another. The members
start focusing on a task at hand and its
purpose. The group develops essential rules
for future decisions and actions.
46
Summarize
the
participants'
viewpoints,
then
move
on.
Ask
others
for
their
inputs.
Ask
the
participants
to
hold
off
until
a
break.
Ask
the
participant
to
hold
off
until
later
in
the
event.
Summarize
the
participant's
viewpoint
and
move
on.
Address
directly
that
a
tangent
has
been
raised
and
restate
the
purpose
of
the
discussion.
Use
non-verbal
methods
to
regain
the
participants'
attention
through
eye
contact,
move
closer.
Ask
one
of
them
a question,
using
the
participant's
name.
Ask
them
to
refrain
from
talking,
privately,
if
possible.
Summarize
the
participant's
viewpoint.
Ask
others
for
their
opinion.
Agree
to
disagree.
Agree
in
part,
then
state
how
you
differ
and
why.
Use
non-verbal
means
to
draw
the
participants
into
the
discussion.
Ask
direct
but
non-threatening
questions.
Connect
with
the
participants
during
breaks.
adapted from: DSE-ZEL: Training Manual “Training of Trainers for Rural Development”, Feldafing 2001, Module 3, p. 22
Storming. Storming. Intra-group conflict prevails while
established rules are violated. Individuals
often pursue personal agendas, causing
frictions within the group to increase. Conflict
resolution leads to a more realistic setting of
objectives, procedures and norms.
Norming. Norming. Tensions are overcome and group
cohesion grows. Group members accept each
individual’s peculiarities, causing a group
spirit to emerge. Harmony becomes one of its
key features.
Performing. erforming. Roles become more differentiated
and functional, as members collectively
pursue group objectives. The group’s
energy is directed at identified tasks.
Maximum productivity is reached, so that
new insights and solutions begin to emerge
(see Handy 1985)
But you should be aware that this process varies
greatly depending on the socio-cultural backgrounds
of the group members. Therefore, there
is no blueprint for suitable interventions.