Reflection on Group Facilitation #1

For my group facilitation along with Lauren and Caroline, we decided to lead a group on conflict resolution strategies. We thought this would be an important topic to address because as OTs we will frequently run into some sort of conflict with the client, the caregiver, or other healthcare providers and it is wise to be proactive to develop strategies ahead of time to preserve our goals and relationships with others. We decided to start the group by asking some warm-up questions, then we did an icebreaker, next Lauren led a Conflict Resolution Management Styles Assessment, then Caroline led the "How do you see it?" activity, and I concluded my leading a debriefing session and summarizing everything we did in the group.
Lauren started the group by clearly explaining our purpose and asking everyone how conflict was resolved in their families growing up. Everyone seemed relaxed and willing to share. We had a great pre-existing rapport with the group members so it was fairly easy for them to open up. She then outlined how the rest of the group would run.
Next, we led the group in three activities. They ran smoothly even when people got confused on directions. We were able to keep the ball rolling and be productive with our time. The materials we used for our activities were very effective tools that allowed our group members to learn more about themselves and others. Throughout the course of the activities, several people entered and exited the room, but we were able to stay focused and complete the activities successfully.
We invited each member to share during the debriefing session while also letting them know that they did not have to share if they didn't want to. I consciously tried to use good verbal and nonverbal cues to make the group members feel safe and open when sharing. I did my best not to butt in, look them directly in the eyes as they shared, and to convey empathy.
Processing occurred naturally during the debriefing session. I tried to ask questions that would elicit the members' feelings and beliefs about the experience. I also tried to help them see connections in what they learned about themselves and how they can generalize this new knowledge to a conflict resolution scenario.
I did my best to highlight similarities and differences in how each of the group members approaches conflict resolution by looking at their individual responses and drawing my own conclusions or by asking them questions that would lead them to draw their own. I ended the session by asking each group member to say something positive that they learned about themselves with the hope that they will remember that positive attribute next time they are in a conflict resolution scenario.
I tried to inspire confidence at the conclusion of the group by asking the group members to brag about themselves. I conveyed a positive and encouraging spirit and did my best to motivate others to speak up for their positive attributes and smile and thank them when they chose to speak out loud. My co-facilitators and I encouraged group interaction by having group members partner up for one activity.
Limit setting was definitely a challenge. Because our group has an already established rapport, it was easy to get off topic and keep having a conversation. While the conversation was productive and relevant to conflict resolution, it was more important to make our remaining points, so we regained their attention and veered back on course. I believe my co-facilitators and I were able to keep the ball rolling after too much conversation without being too controlling.
In the summary, we conveyed the meaning and significance of the experience while also asking them to reflect on what they learned. We brought up several situations in everyday life where these conflict resolution strategies could be used. We also asked group members to share times where they did not handle conflict resolution in a productive way.
In summary, we reinforced the activities that we did, why they were important, and thanked the group members for their participation. We ended the group in a timely manner.
For me, the most significant part of this experience was getting some practice on how long to leave the floor open for discussion without putting too much pressure on every person in the group to speak. I found that this was a delicate balance and I appreciated the practice. Overall, I think I feel more comfortable leading a group now than I did before. I learned more about how to ask further questions and convey empathy while leading the group members to draw conclusions about what they learned.