Social Work with Groups - Assignment Example

Group Analysis Inserts His/Her Inserts Inserts Introduction In the past weeks, I have been meeting with three other students in a small group class. In our group meetings, we discussed the reasons why we are in the MSW programs, our fears, reason for continuing with the program, and what we are doing. In this meeting, I have come to learn a lot about group dynamics and how to effectively hold a group study. In this paper I shall look at several areas of group dynamics within my own group. Composition Our group is composed of four members who are part of the MSW program. I noticed that after the initial acquaintance stage, our group functioned very well and we were able to look at different subjects easily. Our cohesion was mainly driven by shared goals and a meshing of characteristics. Although we did not agree on each and every subject, we were all able to voice our differences in a civilized manner and a way that is understood by the rest of the members. According to Zastrov (2009), members of the group should have respect for each other and respect individual autonomy. This means that all members are equal and should be willing to help each other to develop in areas where they are lacking. In our group, the members came from the same background (MSW program), had a common goal and were able to interact despite differing views. Leadership Styles I have acted both as a group member and a leader of the group during my time with my group class. At this time, I have come to realize that an effective leadership style has a great impact on the cohesion of the group and success in meeting the group objective. During the first few sessions, we were unable to interact with each other and meet the set group objectives. This as I came to realize was because we had not developed a leadership system for the group. Once the group had a leader, it became easier to carry out our objectives. During my time as the leader of the group, I first realized that a leader’s first task is to ensure cohesiveness, build trust and create a sense of belonging for all members in the group. After this, the leader should ensure that group goals take precedence over individual members concerns. A successful leader should trust the group process and realize that it works best if the power of the group is released through cohesion, a sense of belonging, feedback, reality testing, trust and meaningful self-disclosure (Shulman 2011). During the group study process, I learnt that a group leader should also ensure that the group members are empowered to work by themselves and develop their own conclusion about a given subject. The group leader should then take charge of the meeting and encourage meaningful debate about the different conclusions developed by the members and how they arrived at these conclusions. Stages of Group Development Our group went through several stages in its development. During the first few sessions, we were not very comfortable with each other and had difficulties developing a timetable or setting out the objectives to be carried out during these sessions. Part of our objective involved sharing our intimate information about ourselves and this could not happen without a fair share of trust. I noticed that the first important tack in any group setting is coming together and choosing a leader during this initial stage so that the group can take the required steps in meeting its objectives. The AASWG identifies the three stages of group development that are: the beginning phase, the middle phase and the ending phase (AASWG, 2010). During the beginning phase of our group, we developed a beginning contract that sets out the tasks to be tackled, the objectives of the group and the process to meet these objectives. In my opinion, a group can only be called as such if its goals and objectives have been laid out and a way of meeting these objectives are discussed and understood by all. Without this, the group just becomes a collection of individuals with no definitive purpose. The second task carried out during the beginning phase is to determine member roles and the group’s purpose. We met to discuss our reasons for engaging in the MSW program, our fears and the reason we continue being in the program. During the beginning stage, we also tried to develop a rapport with each other, thus in turn cultivating group cohesion. Finally, during the beginning phase, we shape a constitution laying out the norms of participation. Each member was involved, thus allowing a sense of belonging. This conforms to the guidelines set out by the AASWG manual governing social work practice with groups. In the middle phase, group task and member tasks were reviewed. Each member of my group had to accomplish a given task as explained in the beginning stage and present periodical progress to the group during meetings. According to Shulman (2011), presenting periodical progress enables members to provide feedback about a given task and also allows others to offer solutions if a member encounter difficulties. During this stage, we also sought to identify all the obstacles that affected meeting our group goals and how to meet these challenges. During this stage, AASWG presents attending to group dynamics or processes as an important task. During my task as the leader, I noticed that at times members needed help and that this help could be best delivered by the whole group. I also found it important to identify and interpret communication patterns of the members and between members. Communication patterns allow one to understand what the members are feeling and how the group is working together as a whole. By understanding the communication patterns, one can assist the members on how to articulate and identify what they are feeling (Jacobs, Masson, & Harvill, 2011). During our group sessions, we had to identify resources available to us and the manner in which we could utilize them. This ensured that at all time we were aware of our limitations or any obstacles that could interfere with our objectives. In the ending phase of group development, we met to discuss what we have learned, what we have gained and what objectives have been met during the period. AASWG proposes that group members should be informed in advance about the group’s ending. In our group, this was done so as to ensure everyone had a chance to explain their feelings about the group and all they have gained from the process (AASWG, 2010). We discussed our feelings about the group and how we felt about the group’s ending. We had to discuss the direct and indirect signs with regard to how the members reacted to the group ending. We were all quite sorrowful about the group’s ending, but we felt that we gained a lot during the process. We also joined together to find out how to apply what we have learnt during the group process. We finally had to give feedback on each of our roles in the group and how effective we were. Group Conflict During our group sessions, there were several times that conflicts arose due to different ideas being presented by the members. I learnt that it is impossible for everyone to have the same opinion and that conflicts are sometimes important in any group session. Most of the conflicts involved differing ideas, but I realized that if you looked at the big picture you can reconcile the differences to find a comprehensive solution. During the process, we learnt that conflicts were bound to happen and that as group members; we had to learn to accept it. Our group sessions also revealed that conflicts were a matter of differences thus we tried to look at why this difference existed and how we could reconcile these differences. AASWG notes that one should never take over when a conflict occurs (AASWG, 2010). This ensures that the members get a chance to talk about a difference and see if they can arrive at a common conclusion. Our group took this into consideration and conflicts were usually left to run their course without intervention. As a leader, I however had to ensure the group kept sight of its common ground. Sometimes conflict can get out of hand, leading to members considering details unimportant to the task at hand, thus it is important to ensure that they keep sight of their goals at every moment. Conclusion Groups are very important as they improve health habits, improve physician-patient partnerships and ensure positive mental attitudes. An effective group should be composed of members who are willing to achieve a common objective and have a similar background. A group should have a good leadership style that is geared to meet the goals and objectives of the group. The leadership style should help individual within the group meet their objectives and resolve their differences. The development of the group is governed by how well the members trust each other, cohesion in the group and how the resolve conflicts. The initial phase is when bonds are created between the members and trust is formed. The middle phase involves meeting individual and group goals while helping the members to understand themselves better as well as their problems. The ending phase involves coming together and determining what happened since the beginning of the group sessions, what was achieved and how and the feelings members of the group have about the ending of the group. During the group sessions we discovered that conflicts are prone to occur but are very important in that they show how group members think and what effort should be applied to each individual. Conflicts are also a form of presenting feedback and reconciling the beliefs and attitudes of the members. References Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG) (2010). Standards with social work with groups (2nd ed.). Retrieved from: http://www.aaswg.org/files/AASWG_Standards_for_Social_Work_Practice_with_Groups.pdf Jacobs, E., Masson, R. & Harvill, R. (2011). Group Counselling: Strategies and Skill. Belmont CA: Cengage Shulman, L. (2011).  Dynamics and skills of group counseling.  Belmont, CA:  Brooks/Cole. Zastrov, C. (2009). Social Work with Groups: A Comprehensive Workbook. Belmont, CA: Cengage Read More