ESB 4003: Group Counselling

TOPIC 6 : GROUP PROCESS

Introduction Group process is best experienced by active group participation. A group is more than the sum of its individual participants. It is the interaction between group members who through interdependent roles produce patterns or, as in a play, shape themes and narratives. Each group culture or style of interaction is unique to its specific situation and circumstances. Important variables in group process include its purpose, leadership style, structure, size and developmental phase. For instance, in the initial stage of a group encounter, security concerns dominate with the interplay between trust and mistrust. Process reports of group interaction at this infant stage will generally include the following: the group culture will be one of suspicion, caution, random testing, probing and withdrawal (Klein, 1972, 67). The stages in the life of a group do not generally flow neatly and predictably in the order. In actuality, there is considerably overlap between stages, and once a group moves to an advanced stage, it is not uncommon for it to stay at a plateau for a time or to temporarily regress to an earlier stage. Similarly the fact that certain tasks have been accomplished in a group, such as working through conflicts, does not mean that new conflicts will not erupt. Both members and leaders in a group need to pay attention to the factors that affect the direction of the group process. Concept of Group Process Group process consists of all the elements basic to the unfolding of a group from the time it begins to its termination. Group process pertains to dynamics such as the norms that govern a group, level of cohesion in groups, how trust is generated, how resistance is manifested, how conflict emerges and dealt with, the forces that bring about healing, intermember reactions and the various stages in a groups development.

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling

Group process involves four stages: stage 1: initial stage(orientation and exploration), stage 2: transition stage(conflict and resistance), stage 3: working stage (cohesiveness and productivity) and stage 4:termination stage (reinforcement and termination stage), post-group stage(follow-up and evaluation).

The pattern of development in the group process helps the leader to be aware as to the stage of the group process. The stages of the groups development grow as a result of the leadership and not being determined by the leader. Awareness of the groups development helps to prevent confusion and uneasiness on the part of the leader and the member.

To help leaders to identify the source of obstruction to groups development and to develop an intervention to help the group members to move to a more productive stage.

Group does not have to move according to the stage. Group differ according to the length of time at each stage and the type of problems thst occur at each stage. It is difficult to differentiate clearly the stages of group development.

Three members function that influence the effectiveness and productivity of groups are task functions,maintenance functions, and self-interest functions. Task Functions This is the primary reason for the establishment of a group. To achieve the task, they must have members that fulfill some or all of the following roles: a) Initiating: by proposing tasks or goals, defining problems and suggesting procedures for a solution; b) Information seeking: by requesting facts, seeking relevant information, and asking for

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling suggestions or ideas; c) Information giving: by offering facts, providing information, stating beliefs, and giving suggestions or ideas; d) Clarifying ideas: by interpreting and clarifying input, indicating alternatives and giving examples; e) Bringing closure: by summarizing, restating, and offering solutions; f) Consensus testing: by checking for agreements and sending up trial balloons. Maintenance Behaviour Each group needs social-emotional support to be effective. Some members of the group will take the lead in providing this support which consists of the following: a) Encouraging: by showing regard for other members and providing positive response to their contributions; b) Improving group by expressing group feelings, sensing moods and relationships, atmosphere: and sharing feelings; c) Harmonizing: by reconciling differences and reducing group tension; d) Compromising: by admitting errors and looking for alternatives; e) Gate-keeping: by attempting to keep communications flowing, facilitating the participation of others, and suggesting procedures for sharing discussion; f) Standard setting: by reminding members of group norms, rules, and roles. Self-interest Behaviour This third function displayed by some individuals, members generally takes away from group performance and affects task achievement at the expense of the group. Activities that identify self-interest behaviour are as follows: a) Dominating and by displaying lack of respect for others, cutting them off, controlling: not listening, and restating other members suggestions with a different meaning; b) Blocking: by stifling a line of thought, and changing the topic either away from the point of view or back to his or her own interest;

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling c) Manipulating: by providing self-serving information, or a single point of view designed to achieve a decision that is consistent with their position; d) Belittling: through put-downs, sneering at others point of view, or making jokes about another members contribution; e) Splitting hairs: by nit-picking, searching for insignificant details that delay a solution, or undermining another persons point of view. Some of the roles performed by group members Mediator include the following: Initiator Blocker Information Processor Coordinator Evaluator Facilitator Theologian/Philosopher Harmonizer Gatekeeper Follower Other An Exercise Using a group session as research base, reflect on the following questions: Who emerged as seeking for or taking control? Document by displayed behaviors. What were your response behaviors? What were your emotional responses and how did you interpret the process? Who were more withdrawn? When and how did the withdrawal take place? What were your emotional and behavioral responses? How did you interpret the process? Did you note any sequence of communication? Diagram if you can. Who speaks to whom, one to one or addressed to a grouping or to all? What was the emotional tone of the communication and your inner responses? What role(s) did you take and how do you feel about that? Was there some other role or roles that you would have preferred? What kept you from getting/taking it? How are conclusions or decisions reached in this group? Are there members left out or members that stand out in the process? Confronter Consensus Seeker Orientator Recognition Seeker Dominator Feelings Processor Avoider Clown Distracter Other

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling How does your role in this group fit with where you were in your family of origin, in your present intimate social system of family/friends and your work system. Effectiveness of Group Process Is Group Therapy Effective ? The beneficial effects that a therapy group can have on an individual have long been recognised by group workers but without the support of rigorous scientific scrutiny. Comprehensive reviews by Dies (1993), Piper (1993) and Fuhriman & Burlingame (1994) have begun to address this imbalance. Until recently there was a dearth of high-quality studies comparing the effectiveness of individual and group therapy for patients with similar characteristics. Within the past 10 years or so a number of studies using metaanalysis have shown equal effectiveness for the two treatment modalities in the treatment of both depression and personality disorder (Robinson et al, 1990; Tyllitski, 1990; Budman et al, 1998). Toseland & Siporin (1986) reviewed 74 studies that compared individual and group treatment, 32 of which met their criteria for inclusion. Group treatment was found to be as effective as individual treatment in 75% of these studies and more effective in the remaining 25%. In no case was individual treatment found to be more effective than group treatment. Group treatment was more cost-effective than individual therapy in 31% of the studies. McDermut et al (2001) provide the latest meta-analytic review of the effectiveness of group psychotherapy in the treatment of depression (for a review of their paper, ( Truax, 2001). Of the 48 studies examined, 43 showed statistically significant reductions in depressive symptoms following group psychotherapy; nine showed no difference in effectiveness between group and individual therapy; and eight showed CBT to be more effective than psychodynamic group therapy. Factors Influencing Group Effectiveness. It is not necessary for the group to move according to the stage. The leadership function is shared among the group members. The stages of group development is difficult to identify clearly.

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling Members are willing to take risk through sharing in order to foster group cohesiveness. There is group cohesiveness. Conflict is resolved directly. Less role ambiguity. Role expectations are clarified at the beginning of group session. Clarifying Expectations Underlying every perception is ones expectation. Expectation is that oftenunspoken idea we have of how things are going to be, or how people will behave, or how people will react. Many times people are surprised when something happens that is different from what they expected. They may be so surprised she should seek clarification from the members to assure that everyone understands what the group will be doing. Each person should realize how he or she can contribute to the solution. Everyone has talent and skills that they were born with, as well as talents and skills they have acquired. Most of us tend to downplay or minimize what we have to offer. Problem solving is no time to be modest about ones talents. All available skills and talents should be on the table for use by the group in solving its problem. Each person should recognize the potential contributions of others. Again, everyone has talent and skills they were born with, and those they have acquired through education and experience. Sometimes we recognize a talent or skill in another person that they do not fully realize themselves. It is helpful to give that person encouragement to participate. Members should be willing to recognize when other members may need more information or assistance, and to offer their help so that each member can make his or her full contribution to the effort.

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling Negotiation is important to success. The very differences that bring many talents into a group also bring in different opinions and perceptions. The best solution is one that everyone finds acceptable. The group should make decisions based on what is in the organizations best interest. It is the groups responsibility to help manage the groups dynamics; for example, to help the shy person to contribute, and to help the dominant person make time available for others to speak. Everyone operates with assumptions and expectations, and it is important to clarify what those are at the beginning, and whenever it may be necessary. Sometimes members lose sight of what the original purpose was and may get sidetracked. These detours can waste a lot of the groups time. It is important to keep the purpose, goal, or task in mind, and to bring the discussion back to the stated focus. This is the shared responsibility of all group members. Everyone has leadership qualities, and leadership may change depending on the situation or task. leadership means influence; the person with the most influence is not always the person with the most authority. If a member sees an opportunity that is in the groups best interest, he or she is obligated to call that opportunity to the groups attention. Not every task is appropriate for a group. Writing, for example, is best accomplished by an individual. Drafting a budget is better accomplished by an individual. The result or product may be approved by the group, but the actual task of writing or calculating should be performed by an individual. An ideal team has a number of distinct characteristics, and they fall into three areas: their feedback and communication behaviours, their behaviour and conduct courtesies, and their ways of approaching tasks and problems. Feedback and

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling communication behaviours describe how the members talk with one another, clarify their expectations, react to each others ideas and offer their perceptions and opinions. In an ideal team, the members: Ask for help from other members when it is needed and do not waste precious time struggling alone; Give positive comments to each other regularly and often, because they know it motivates teammates; Give negative observations when necessary, but do it constructively, for example: Frank, that proposal you wrote is very good, but its a little weak in the evaluation section. Joe has done a lot of evaluations, perhaps he can help; Receive negative observations from another member without becoming defensive, because they know the comments are not meant to be insulting, but are meant to help the team accomplish its goals; Support other team members in times of crisis, for example: Lars, Im sorry to hear about your family illness. Why dont you go home and I will finish your assignment; Offer help to others when their own work is completed. Behaviour and conduct courtesies describe the protocols that the members have agreed to as a responsibility of being a member of the team. In an ideal team, the members: Are ambassadors of that team, and represent the team, not just themselves; Remain open-minded and receptive to all ideas, however different from their own;

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

ESB 4003: Group Counselling Give another member time to get his idea out, and paraphrase the idea to assure they understand the intended message; Take turns speaking; Encourage full participation by all members; Do not have side conversations during a discussion, because participants might miss something important (and because it is disrespectful of the others); Stay focused on the task at hand, and do not engage in distracting behaviours; Call a time-out if they feel another members behaviour is disruptive; Make the team meeting a priority so that attendance is consistent; Begin and end meetings on time, so members can use their time most efficiently; Obtain closure on topics and get a decision; Summarize and clarify the meeting at the end. Ways of approaching tasks and problems. In an ideal team, the members: Accept every problem as a team problem, not one belonging only to one member; Never say we cannot do this, but say how can we do this?; Determine the action items that any decision requires, or think through how to carry out decisions; Share failures as a team, never blaming only one or two members; Look at failures as a way to improve the team functioning, because we can always learn something from failure; Share all information, so that everyone is working from the same body of information; Use consensus for major decisions, which results in finding the most acceptable decision for everyone, as opposed to voting, in which there are clear winners and losers; Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron 9

ESB 4003: Group Counselling Stay focused on the purpose of the team, which is to accomplish something together. Ineffective Group Process. The group goals is not clear. There is an atmosphere of animosity. Members are reluctant to share feelings. Discussion is focus on other individual , not a group member (story telling) Members strictly follow leaders command. There is no cohesiveness among members of the group. Conflict is not resolved or is denied resolution.

Characteristics of Ineffective Group i. There is low unity of purpose. Little or no evidence that the group is widely committed to common objectives or that the objectives are meaningful to each member of the group. ii. The group tends to avoid discussion of its own maintenance. The group has taken little time to explicitly discuss group process -- how the group will function to achieve its objectives. The group does not have a clear, mutually agreed-upon approach: mechanics, norms, expectations, rules, etc. There is often much discussion after a meeting of what was wrong and why, but this is seldom discussed within the meeting itself. iii. The group has low or ambiguous performance goals for itself. It has not defined concrete milestones against which it measures itself. The group has not given itself the stimulus of a continuous series of "small wins" along the way to larger goals. iv. The atmosphere is likely to reflect either indifference (lots of side conversations, whispering, etc.), boredom, or tension. The group is not Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron 10

ESB 4003: Group Counselling genuinely engaged. v. A few people tend to dominate. Sometimes their contributions are way off the point, but little is done by anyone in the group to keep the group clearly on track. People do not really listen to each other. Ideas are ignored or overriden. Conversations after group meetings reveal that people failed to express their ideas or feelings. vi. Personal feelings are hidden. There is fear that these are too explosive if brought out. vii. Disagreements are not generally dealt with effectively by the group. They may be suppressed by those who fear conflict, or there may be a "Tyranny of the Minority" in which an individual or sub-group is so aggressive that the majority accedes to their wishes in order to preserve the peace. viii. Actions are often taken prematurely before the real issues are either examined or resolved. There is sometimes grousing after the meeting. A simple majority is considered sufficient, and the minority is expected to go along. The minority remains resentful and uncommitted. ix. There are one or more group members who do not carry their fair share , failing to meet expectation of other group members. One or more members are disrespectful of the mechanics of the group: arriving late, coming unprepared, not completing agreed upon tasks on time, etc. Action steps are either unclear (who-whatwhen) or some group members are unwilling to accept and complete action steps at an equal level to other group members. x. Criticism may be present, but it is tension-producing or hostile. Some people avoid giving constructive criticism.

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

11

ESB 4003: Group Counselling xi. There is a dominant figure in the group who seeks to gain and retain power in the group. Factors influencing the effectiveness of group process Group size Duration of group session. Setting . Members composition. Frequency of meetings. Level of cohesiveness. Commitment. Pattern of interaction between members and leader. Level of members confidence. Members attitude. Members attitude towards leader. Leaders attitude towards members of the group. Experience and commitment of the group leader.

************************************

Prepared by Mdm Hajah Sabariah Siron

12