Once Upon a Group: A Guide to Running and Participating in Successful Groups

Groups are a universal phenomenon, but their dynamics, make-up and customs can vary widely – a group can be anything from a family to a sports club. Having a good understanding of how groups work can make them more effective, enriching and fun. Once Upon A Group is a short, light-hearted guide to groupwork, providing an easily-digestible way of understanding group dynamics, the practicalities of running a group, and how to participate in one. It covers how and where to set up a group, including the type of room used, the size of the group and the arrangement of chairs, and the importance of boundaries and rules within a group. It also covers issues such as communication, sensitivity, listening, leadership, decision-making, labelling and stereotyping, and forms of participation, among many others. Each topic is illustrated with a lively drawing to communicate the ideas presented. This second edition also covers diversity throughout and how to apply the ideas in the book to different settings. Based on research but written in an instantly accessible style, this fun guide will be essential reading for all those involved in groupwork including health and social care practitioners, volunteers, advice workers, youth workers and students.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction. 2. Applying this Book to your Situation. Your role in life and work groups. Groupwork and professional standards. 3. Running a Group. A note on leadership. Laying the foundations. 4. A Brief Look at Origins of Group Behaviour. My first group. When groups become large. Size of groups. Number of relationships and size of groups. 5. Setting up Groups. Purpose and contract. Number of meetings. Meeting place. Seating arrangements - type of chair. Seating arrangements - arranging the chairs. Physical and emotional space. Size of meeting place. Temperature. Fresh air. Lighting. Breaks, including refreshments. 6. Boundaries and Rules. Punctuality - at the beginning. Degree of familiarity. Commitment. Confidentiality. Interruptions. Limits in general. Smoking. Punctuality - at the end. 7. Some Ways of Looking at Group Development. Task versus maintenance. Common threads running through various theories and models. Creativity and play. 8. What Goes on in Groups. Choosing a seat. Introducing a subject. Your opening contribution. Communication and lack of it. Non-verbal communication. Opting out. Sensitivity. Honesty about feelings. The art of listening. Dominant behaviour. Fight or flight. Democracy versus autocracy. Bids for leadership. Co-leadership. Sub-groups. Pairing. Red herrings. Level of involvement. Subversive behaviour. Decision-making. Group norms. Barriers and defences. Hidden agendas. Hanging bits of ourselves on others. The transfer system! Scapegoats. The group casualty. Labelling and stereotyping. Point-scoring. Pearls of wisdom. Over-dependence. Silences. Sexuality and sex. Waiting until the last moment. 9. Endings. Giving feedback. White elephants. Disbanding. Celebrations! Appendix - Running a group checklist. Bibliography.

About the Author :
Maggie Kindred is a retired qualified social worker, trainer and practice teacher. Michael Kindred is a freelance games designer and educational consultant. Their interests lie in groupwork, communication skills and teamwork, and they have written several publications in these areas. Maggie is author of A Practical Guide to Working with Reluctant Clients in Health and Social Care, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Review :
(...) this is a short, succinct and straightforward "guide" to all that is groupwork... Once upon a Group will provide indications of key matters to think about for the novice groupworker; for the more experienced it offers pertinent reminders and prompts about practices and considerations that may have become too familiar, taken-for-granted or simply forgotten With its amusing little illustrations and its easy, fresh style, it is both informative and practical. Highly recommended for anyone working with groups. This book delivers on its promise to be "a short, light-hearted guide to group work". It is aimed at the beginner and would work well as an accompanying workbook for those joining or setting up groups. It is very accessible and outlines aspects of group life using illustrated stick figure drawings throughout.