Facilitating Group Dynamics and Working through Conflict

There will be times when you need to pause from the activities you had planned, in order to work through group dynamic issues that arise. This is an important learning moment for everyone and you should not feel that you have gotten “off track.”

 

Issues or concerns that need to be addressed when they come up include:

 

• Challenging experiences (personal and professional)

• Reflections on learning

• How to deal with situations you may be unsure about

• Participant observations or concerns

• Participant conflict and possible strategies for management

• Personal conflict. There may be misunderstandings or conflict between facilitators. It is very important that the time be taken to address such matters. Unresolved issues can have a negative impact on the program environment.

 

There are many theories out there on how groups work. The following theory describes five stages to group development. It also shows how conflict comes up and why it is important part of how groups function.

 

The stages are:

 

1. Forming

2. Storming

3. Norming

4. Performing

5. Adjourningⁱ

 

We have found that this is a helpful way to think about the role that the facilitators need to play in setting up a healthy dynamic and in anticipating and working with conflict.

 

Although it is presented as though the group will progress from one stage to the other sequentially, this is rarely our experience. Just like with the spiral model of popular education (see Section 3: The Popular Education Spiral), the process will organically skip back and forth between stages. The important thing to keep in mind is that no matter where your group is in the process, it is a normal process. Your group is giving you cues and energy to work with.

 

 

The Five Stages of Conflict Resolution

 

1. Forming

In this initial stage, when the group first comes together, there is often a lot of reliance on the facilitator. The girls will look to you for guidance and direction and will have a lot of questions.

 

At this stage you should make a Group Agreement. For an example, refer to Creating a Group Agreement in Appendix 3.

 

Uphold these agreements yourself and don’t be afraid to hold the girls to the agreements. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you are being tested in some way. It’s not personal; the girls are checking out where you stand.

 

Ideas for how to draw out girls who appear not to be engaged:

 

• Keep a special eye out for girls who are easily discouraged.

• With girls who are quiet, respect their need for distance from the conversation but assess whether they are activity listening, completely disengaged or resistant.

• Make use of naturally occurring remarks to address any issues.

• If no remarks come up, talk one-on-one with girls who appear not to be engaged to see what their experience of the group is. Maybe they like to listen more than talk, have a lot on their minds or express themselves in ways that you are not used to. You may need to alter your style to make sure you are not excluding them.

• Give lots of positive reinforcement. For example, when the girls try a new activity in girls’ group that they were previously nervous about, like playing a new sport, sharing in the group, show your support. Also, when a girl makes a responsible decision let her know that you noticed and are proud of her

• Work one-on-one with girls who have difficulty applying themselves and who aren’t responding to positive reinforcement.

• Provide a box that the girls can put their anonymous questions in. You can take time during a session to hand out papers to all girls and ask them to put a paper in the box even if they have nothing to say, to get the ball rolling. Take time each meeting to read and discuss the questions. Make it clear that these are questions that are relevant to everyone. As an organizer you might want to take a look at the questions before the meeting, so you can find answers to anything you are unsure of.

• Try to avoid abstract or complicated language. This can be alienating and make girls feel unsure of how to take part in the conversation.

 

 

2. Storming

Storming refers to the time in the life of a group when conflicts begin to emerge. This is a natural part of being in a group and you should not panic! Use the conflict as a way to productively discuss and work through differences and as a way to get valuable feedback about the needs of the group.

 

As the group gets to know each other, members may attempt to establish themselves as leaders or cliques may form and there may be power struggles. Recognize that challenges to the Group Agreement are probably not malicious; the girls are testing boundaries and asserting their individuality – something that happens in all groups.

 

Do what you can to acknowledge the unique talents of each person and give every girl an opportunity to shine. Make time for the emotional issues that will emerge and resolve any conflicts that emerge. Don’t be worried if this takes you off course from what you had planned in a workshop; there is a lot of invaluable learning in these moments.

 

Although you may feel more connected to certain individuals, cliques or opinions in the group, do your best to not take sides or play favourites to ensure that the space is as safe as possible for everyone.

 

Ideas for reducing tensions amongst cliques:

 

• Change the physical position of the girls to each other. For example, by sitting in between them or by involving the girls in physical games such as musical chairs and dances that encourage all the girls to have fun together.

• Split girls into pairs for some activities to break up the cliques, even if the girls are not happy with this.

• Use activities to focus the group on a common cause.

 

3. Norming

At this stage in the process, the group starts to get in the habit of working together according the Group Agreement. Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. People have found a good rhythm of working together and can have fun together even if they disagree on certain issues. At this stage, the facilitator plays a maintenance role and needs to make room to encourage the girls to take on leadership within the group.

 

4. Performing

In these moments the group will have a lot of autonomy and can accomplish a lot without the guidance of the facilitator. Don’t try to hang on to the leadership role. You are also a valued member of the team and can support the emerging leadership “from behind” by actively participating, encouraging, and offering suggestions when it is requested.

 

Disagreements still occur, but they can now be resolved within the team positively. Necessary changes can be imagined and implemented by the group itself.

 

 

5. Adjourning

Adjourning is when the group is breaking up. This can occur many times in an ongoing group as members come in and go out. With each change in membership, the group reforms itself, so it is good to have a defined process to mark beginnings and endings.

 

The group can be a sort of home for the girls. As the facilitator, it is important to recognize and be sensitive to people's vulnerabilities at this stage, particularly if members of the group have been closely bonded and feel a sense of insecurity or threat from changes.

 

Having closure after each activity helps the girls to feel contained and also helps to mentally retain the positive aspects of each activity. For example, the group members might take turns speaking about what they learned from the activity and what they felt was the most memorable moment. The facilitator might sum up the positive group interactions, comments, and contributions that they witnessed in order to help the group members better assimilate the experience.