This Paper Is A Critical Analysis Of The Group Process

The forming stage is characterized by dependency, and need for acceptance and guidance. In this stage the "meet and greet" is done. During the meet and greet each member gathers information that will determine the strength of potential relationships amongst group members, as well as establish group hierarchy. Generally, in this stage the leader of group is selected. The group leader has a tendency to be someone that is viewed as stable and

The forming and orientation stage of the group is the initial step of getting the group started. Gladding (2012) outlines seven steps that make up the forming stage of group development. First, one must develop a basis for the group.

Whether groups are formed for social or task oriented purposes, the ability to produce and maintain a sense of affiliation, peer support and collaboration is important for overall group functioning. The cohesion of a social group is produced through the establishment of a set of group norms, which are later defined as a guide for conduct accepted within a group of individuals. However, in order for a group to perform and produce results, the team leader should guide his/her team through the proper stages of group development, which includes the following steps: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Although teams should follow all these stages of group development, the forming and the norming stages are the most important,

1.4 Explain why it is important to be clear about the purpose and desired outcomes for the group

Similar to Tuckman’s five stages of group development is Corey and Corey, they claim that the first stage; Pregroup is “setting expectations, establishing group rules and procedures, role preparation and skills building” (Corey, Corey, Corey 2010 p123). The group did well in this stage, as the group was given a very clear aim, we discussed each members skill sets and while preparing a group contract with our aims objectives and rules. A group contract is a very useful facilitation tool as it sets out very clear guidelines for the group and defines what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour for the group members (Tuckman 1965). The group members were able to gain clarity from the group contract, allowing them to identify the norms and boundaries of the group. For example our group decided that if a member were for any reason not be able to attend a meeting they would have to let the team know in advance, if this did happen the rest of the team would relay the information via email to the missing group member.

The five stages of developing groups is an important part of the position. In many cases it is the relationships that a person will have with other individuals who will determine the best members to put into the different groups. As well, the different skill sets that individuals have are also an important part in placing group members together. The observation of the first groups placed together will be a good gauge in learning how some of the individuals work and observing how others work well together. The group size should be eight to 10 people to facilitate greater ease of equal participation among the individuals.

Using Tuckman’s (1965) model of group development, our first session can be considered as our “forming stage.” This was on the basis that it involved introducing ourselves to one another and to quote Price (2001): “we created and negotiated an

This decision to start early on the project saved us from all the hassle we might have encountered by the end of the project. It allowed us for the time to think each and every part through and then write a good professional report. Each group member was assigned different parts of the project, which helped a lot in finishing the project well before the deadline. This saved us a lot of time for editing and revising our final report. Each time a group member was stuck on something the partner would try to help him out if the partner did not know how to they would go to the professor and seek her guidance. To make sure the whole team was on the same page, we had weekly discussion meetings. In the discussion meetings, each group member talked about the progress and the limitations on their part of the project. This idea proved to be quite healthy as now each group member knew what was going on in the project.

Communication between group members was essential to complete this project well and in a timely matter. We used the GroupMe phone application to discuss developments to the project and obstacles encountered. When group members could not meet during class, I made sure to get them caught up through the GroupMe app immediately. I feel my leadership and organization was necessary to get certain group members to contribute to the project. Overall, I was satisfied with the group

For example both the YAM and PTV groups I had experience with were set up to encourage social interaction and personal development. Having an awareness of group stage theory enabled my colleagues and myself to structure the early encounters for the groups to be;

Group work has been a cornerstone of the social work profession and requires a variety of facilitator skills and awareness of group processes. The SSLDTM Group Program for People with Difficulties in Social Situations (Socialwork1914, 2017) provides an excellent example of a psycho-educational group co-facilitated by two female social workers, Jane and Karen. After viewing the 6th session of this 8-week program, I began to understand how the concepts of group formation/development, interpersonal dynamics, and leadership styles contribute to successful group work outcomes.

Tuckman proposes that groups develop via five stages; forming, storming, norming, performing and finally adjourning (Archee, Gurney, & Mohan, 2013a). The first stage, known as forming, involves clarifying the task and purpose of the group, and identifying boundaries of both the task and interpersonal behaviour (Archee et al., 2013a). For the presentation task we were randomly allocated into groups. This worried me greatly as I have struggled in the past with group members who do not contribute equally or see the task as important as other group members. To avoid this problem, the group collectively determined and agreed upon a number of ground rules. For example, we decided that all group members were expected to contribute equally to the presentation, all group members were expected to attend and contribute at all group meetings, and all group members would adhere to agreed upon deadlines. Having failed to do this in previous group assignments, this clarification stage

The things I will have done differently in the group was to use my time wisely. I believe because we were on a time frame, I tended to rush things just to say okay where done. Also, more support and trust at a point of time I was kind of second guessing another idea. I feel that you have to have trust in your group member to make it effective.

In addition, textbook readings not only expanded my knowledge of social work with groups but also provided knowledge context for our experiences with in-class or external groups. For example, I familiarized myself with the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc. (AASWG) which is an international professional organization that establishes ethical guidelines for group counselors. The standards are described in six sections which underline the changes in the worker’s tasks relevant to changing and evolving of the group. (Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc., 2012).

The organization has five stages of group development. In the forming stage they have identified that there is a