FACILITATION: Theory and Practice

CHAPTER 1
BASIC CONCEPTS OF GROUP FACILITATION

INTRODUCTION:
Rance-Roney (2010) describes group work as a classroom practice where “students work
in teams to construct knowledge and accomplish tasks through collaborative interaction.”

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the unit, the students must have:
1. discussed the basic concepts of group facilitation, the types of groups, and its
application to multicultural context and to the teaching-learning process;
2. described the leadership role in group facilitation and its implications to the
values educator in fostering a supportive environment that nurture and inspire
learner participation; and
3. described the impact of the leader’s values and competence to the group in
supporting school policies and procedures to foster harmonious relationships
with the wider school community.

ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

Instruction. In the word cloud below, write as many words or phrases that best
describes a VE/ESP teacher. Feel free to add lines as necessary.

VALUES
EDUCATION
TEACHER

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CONTENT INPUT

This chapter will contain basic concept of group facilitation focusing on its
meaning, types and roles in a group, overview of group facilitation and its values, and
effective facilitating skill.

WHAT IS GROUP?
By definition, any 2 or more number of people joined together by any similarities
can be considered a group. A group of two people, usually called dyad, are building blocks
for larger grouping. However, these smaller groups could stand alone also.

WHAT IS GROUP WORK?

Group work is a way of teaching and instruction which places an emphasis on
cooperation, team work and solidarity through collaborative work to accomplish tasks
and others. Group work as a classroom practice can either be formal or informal.

WHAT IS FACILITATION?
Facilitation is defined as “to make something easier.”
Within a group setting, facilitation is the process of assisting a group to realize its
common goals, visions, and mission. In order to achieve these aims a facilitator needs to
be effective as a manager, know how to capitalize on the talents and diverse ideas of the
group members, and be culturally competent.
The following factors shape how a group is facilitated: (1) type of group (e.g.,
support groups), (2) the use of intentional dialogue, and (3) knowing how to work with
challenging participants, (e.g., dominator, blocker).
According to Roger Schwarz, “Group facilitation is a process in which a person
whose selection is acceptable to all members of the group, who is substantively neutral,
and who has no substantive decision-making authority diagnoses and intervenes to help
a group improve how it identifies and solves problems and makes decisions, to increase
the group's effectiveness.” (The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for
Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches (Revised Edition) Jossey-Bass,
2002, page 5).

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OVERVIEW OF GROUP COUNSELING

Group counseling has preventive as well as remedial aims. Generally, the
counseling group has a specific focus, which may be educational, career, social, or
personal. Group work emphasizes interpersonal communication of conscious thoughts,
feelings, and behavior within a here-and-now time frame. Counseling groups are often
problem oriented, and the members largely determine their content and aims. Group
members typically do not require extensive personality reconstruction, and their
concerns generally relate to the developmental tasks of the life span.
GOALS
Ideally, members will decide the specific goals of the group experience for
themselves. Here are some possible goals for members of counseling groups:
• To increase awareness and self-knowledge; to develop a sense of one’s unique
identity
• To recognize the commonality of members’ needs and problems and to develop a
sense of connectedness
• To help members learn how to establish meaningful and intimate relationships
• To assist members in discovering resources within their extended family and
community as ways of addressing their concerns
• To increase self-acceptance, self-confidence, self-respect, and to achieve a new view
of oneself and others
• To learn how to express one’s emotions in a healthy way
• To develop concern and compassion for the needs and feelings of others
• To find alternative ways of dealing with normal developmental issues and of
resolving certain conflicts
• To increase self-direction, interdependence, and responsibility toward oneself and
others
• To become aware of one’s choices and to make choices wisely
• To make specific plans for changing certain behaviors
• To learn more effective social skills
• To learn how to challenge others with care, concern, honesty, and directness
• To clarify one’s values and decide whether and how to modify them.

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A THINKING, FEELING, AND BEHAVING MODEL

We draw from approaches that focus on the cognitive domain, which focuses on
the thinking or thought processes of group members. We typically challenge members to
think about early decisions they have made about themselves. We pay attention to
members’ self-talk.
The affective domain focuses on the feelings of group members. In the groups we
lead, we help members identify and express their feelings. If members are able to
experience the range of their feelings and talk about how certain events have affected
them, their healing process is facilitated.
The cognitive and affective domains are essential parts of the therapeutic
process, but the behavioral domain (acting and doing) is also central to the change
process. Gaining insights and expressing pent-up feelings are important, yet at some
point members need to get involved in an action-oriented pro- gram of change.
In facilitating a group, we use a variety of techniques drawn from many
theoretical models. Techniques are adapted to the needs of the group participants, and
we consider several factors: the purpose and type of group, readiness of members to
confront a personal issue, cultural background, value system, and trust in us as leaders.

AN OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS TYPES OF GROUPS

The Association for Specialists in Group Work (2000) has identified a set of core
competencies in general group work. These standards make it clear that mastery of the
core competencies (basic knowledge and skills all leaders need to possess) does not
qualify a group worker to independently practice in any group work specialty.
Practitioners must possess advanced competencies relevant to their particular area of
group work. The ASGW identifies four areas of advanced practice, referred to as
specializations, which we consider next: (a) task groups, (b) psychoeducational groups,
(c) counseling groups, and (d) psychotherapy groups. To this list of four groups, we add
a description of (e) brief groups because of their increasing use in various settings.

A. TASK GROUP
Task facilitation groups are designed to assist task forces, committees, planning
groups, and other similar groups to correct or develop their functioning. These groups
address the application of principles and processes of group dynamics that can foster
accomplishment of identified work goals. Increasingly, human services workers are being
asked to help improve program planning and evaluation within organizations. Whether
task groups are created for organizational purposes or to meet certain needs of clients,

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the tasks of these groups center around decision making and problem solving (Conyne,
Wilson, & Ward, 1997).
It is the leader’s role to assist task group participants in understanding how
attention to this interpersonal climate directly relates to achieving the purpose and goals
of the group (Hulse-Killacky, Killacky, & Donigan, 2001).
In Making Task Groups Work in Your World, Hulse-Killacky, Killacky, and Donigian
(2001) identify the characteristics of effective tasks groups, which include the following:
• The group has a clear purpose.
• There is a balance of process and content issues.
• A culture exists that recognizes and appreciates differences.
• There is a climate of cooperation, collaboration, and mutual respect.
• If conflict exists, it is addressed.
• Feedback is exchanged in a clear and immediate manner.
• Here-and-now issues in the group are addressed.
• Members are invited to be active resources.
• Members are given time to reflect on their work.

B. PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL GROUPS
Psychoeducational groups focus on developing members’ cognitive, affective,
and behavioral skills through a structured set of procedures within and across group
meetings. The goal is to ameliorate an array of educational deficits and psychological
problems. This group work specialization deals with imparting, discussing, and
integrating factual information. Psychoeducational groups are designed to help people
develop specific skills, understand certain themes, or progress through difficult life
transitions.
At the beginning of a structured group it is common to ask members to complete
a questionnaire on how well they are coping with the area of concern. The work of these
groups often includes structured exercises, readings, home- work assignments, and
contracts. When the group comes to an end, another questionnaire is completed to
assess members’ progress. Psychoeducational groups of this type are useful for a broad
range of problems. Here are just a few topic areas for structured groups:

 Managing stress
 Learning assertive behaviors

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 Overcoming eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia)

 Supporting women in transition
 Dealing with an alcoholic parent
 Learning anger management skills
 Managing relationships and ending relationships
 Overcoming perfectionism

 Supporting survivors of physical and sexual abuse

C. COUNSELING GROUPS
The group worker who specializes in counseling groups helps participants resolve
the usual, yet often difficult, problems of living. Career, education, personal, social, and
developmental concerns are frequently addressed.
Counseling groups focus on interpersonal process and problem-solving strategies
that stress conscious thoughts, feelings, and behavior. These groups may be designed
for prevention, development, or remediation purposes. A counseling group may help
participants resolve problems in living or dealing with developmental concerns. These
groups provide the support and the challenge necessary for honest self-exploration.
Counseling groups range from those with an open structure, in which participants
shape the direction of the group, to those characterized by a specific focus. But they all
share these goals:

• Helping people develop more positive attitudes and better interpersonal skills
• Using the group process to facilitate behavior change
• Helping members transfer newly acquired skills and behavior learned in the
group to everyday life

D. PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUPS
Group psychotherapy is a process of reeducation that includes both conscious
and unconscious awareness and both the present and the past. Primarily designed to
correct emotional and behavioral disorders that impede one’s functioning or to
remediate in-depth psychological problems. The goal may be either a minor or a major
transformation of personality structure, depending on the theoretical orientation of the
group therapist. Because of this goal, therapy groups tend to be more long term than
other kinds of groups. The people who make up the group may be suffering from severe
emotional problems, deep personal conflicts, effects of trauma, or psychotic states.

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Many of these individuals are in need of remedial treatment rather than developmental
and preventive work.

E. BRIEF GROUPS

Brief group therapy (BGT) generally refers to groups that are time limited, have a
preset time for termination, have a process orientation, and are professionally led. Brief
is a relative term that generally refers to durations of 2 to 6 months. However, most forms
of BGT last only 2 to 3 months and involve between 8 and 12 weekly sessions. BGT also
tends to be time limited, which means that both the client and therapist know the
duration of the group prior to its onset. Historically, brief individual therapy arose in the
1970s and early 1980s as an innovative alternative to long-term individual therapy.
Following this development, BGT evolved similarly as an innovative alternative to long-
term group therapy. Today, there is considerable interest in the various applications and
benefits of BGT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF GROUP MEMBERS

Group roles are specific assignments or functions that individual members of a
team oversee as part of their duties. The number of group roles within a team depends
on the team's size and purpose. Organizations rely on many team roles to complete
projects successfully, and some of these roles align with specific categories.
Task Roles Social/Maintenance Roles Dysfunctional Roles
1. Initiator/Contributor 1. Supporter/Encourager 1. Blocker
2. Information Seeker 2. Harmonizer 2. Aggressor
3. Information Giver 3. Tension Reliever 3. Deserter
4. Opinion Seeker 4. Conciliator 4. Dominator
5. Opinion Giver 5. Gatekeeper 5. Recognition
6. Elaborator/Clarifier 6. Feeling Expresser 6. Playboy
7. Coordinator 7. Follower
8. Diagnostician
9. Orienter/Summarizer
10. Energizer
11. Procedure Developer
12. Secretary
13. Evaluator/Critic

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