Definition of Group: 'a number of people or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.' Oxford Dictionaries.
I have been involved for a few months in an interesting piece of co-production activity considering the lived experiences of engagement with professionals with an aim to develop interaction and capture learning from these experiences.
As part of the invitation to participants the information regarding what would take place was provided and on the initial meeting/session, we met and I reflected upon the notion of group work and working with a group and when a group is a group! This reflection emerged in discussion with a colleague who I offer professional supervision and has been valuable to explore.
Considering how Bruce Tuckman's 'group life' model functions, I became aware of this active process taking place when participants arrived and although i could see that a 'forming period was taking place, I was aware that it was at this point that there was various elements of power at play as I had determined (maybe even pre-determined) that turning up 'added' you to the group and that the 'forming' process is not on my terms, nor is my determination that a group of people are indeed a group.
This realisation and reflection was helpful and I was relieved to see that the relational importance between participants/facilitator is acted upon personally and that choice to leave, contribute or not attend again are present and that a key role for a 'group' facilitator is to be present and learn.
It was professionally liberating to hand over and share power with those who attended as this fed into a more open and genuine dialogue that positioned each person as their own expert and encouraged review of own performance the importance of time during each of the stages of a group development and to seek out the variables that led to success for everyone involved. Paulo Freire raises the importance of learning the language of those as educators we engage with, taking time to understand the experiences without interpretation. I am reminded of how co-creation intentions are established and how time can be a real impact in this process.
On a regular basis, I was put in my place in a positive way regarding my need for a flip chart about what i had heard and deemed as 'valuable' and how I had re-worded something and 'removed the heart and soul' of what was being said in a clumsy quickly written flip chart note.
In a fashion, it was my acceptance that was needed by the group as their connection was in some way more genuine that my initial approach. Losing the controls of the flip chart, pen, how it sounded and being present were what we as a group gained as we discussed some credible experiences free of the limitations of power and influence and my flip chart pens!
I learnt a great deal about my own practice and it was positive to have my practice reviewed and developed in this way.
This group of individuals highlighted that the formation of a group is on their terms and although my invite email began a process, that I am also open to an invite by the group as it forms. The terms of group functioning I can be part of and not pre-determine and only if I share genuinely my access to power, my intentions and values can I be accepted and improve the purpose of co-produced activity and the affirmation that is so important in our work.
'This affirmation might appear to imply division, dichotomy, rupture of the revolutionary forces; in fact, it signifies exactly the opposite: their communion' Paulo Freire "Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
I make a choice as a practitioner in definition, to be with a number of people, located and classed together. It is odd that we can be so well intended and forget important aspects of what our intentions are reasons for our involvement in the work we undertake.
So; a group is not a group until the people involved determine it as so and how it will function and we should be an active part of both this process and be genuine in our presence - sounds so simple now that i have written it down!
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