Outdoor
Action Guide to Group Dynamics & Leadership
Preparation,
Motivation, or "Sell It"
Create
in your participants a receptive attitude and a desire to learn the skill.
- Put your students
at ease.
- Establish an informal
arrangement.
- Name the skill.
- Use stories to
prove the importance of a skill.
- Give necessary
background; for example:
- Purpose of
a skill.
- When it is
used.
- How it is
used.
- Why it is
used.
- Where it is
used.
Presentation,
Demonstration, or" Show It"
Arrange
in such a way that the participants can follow the demonstration easily
and see all that is to be seen.
- Teach one skill
at a time.
- Explain while
showing - tell and show.
- Face the participants
while telling and showing.
- Speak clearly
and demonstrate deliberately in continuous sequence.
- Stress the key
points of the skill.
- Stress the need
for repetition.
- "Whole-Part-Whole"
method of presenting a skill:
- Show the whole
skill first.
- Break the
skill into parts.
- Show the whole
skill again in slow motion.
Application,
Practice, or "Do It"
Make use
of mass group, partners, and individual methods of class organizations according
to the type of skill, size of class, size of class area.
- Have participants
do the skill.
- Have participants
practice progressively in parts leading to attainment of the whole skill.
- Watch for and
correct errors immediately. Early correction of an error leads to increased
success.
- Compliment and
encourage your participants.
Adoptions,
Follow-up, or "Use It"
The "Law
of Use and Disuse" states "that a skill which is used frequently becomes
a habit and if not used frequently may be forgotten."
- Apply and adapt
the skill to numerous situations, such as:
- Testing
- Problem work
or drills
- Teaching to
a student who has difficulty
- Encourage its
use in actual situations.
- Have people teaching
the skill to others - individual or class.
- Review skills
periodically.
Conclusion:
A good teacher challenges, inspires, encourages, and helps his/her participants
with the skills. A good teacher never gives up, is patient, avoids bad mannerisms,
speaks clearly and distinctly, uses simple language that all can understand,
and emphasizes key points when talking directly to a group of participants.
Increased self sufficiency Meeting people more easily
Breaking down sex barriers Increased self-awareness
Increased awareness of others Intense personal contact
Appreciation of wilderness New wilderness skills
Adaptability to new situations Self-confidence
Escape from pressures Appreciation of civilization
Increased self-esteem Fun
Leveler Increased self-reliance
New random group Pushing limits
Seeing worth in others Education outside the classroom
Teaching responsibility to others Awareness of how your actions effect others
Appreciation of the natural environment Honesty & Self-disclosure
OA is
based on a model of experiential learning known as the Thaw-Shift- Refreeze
Cycle. This model assumes that we each have a developed set of behaviors
and attitudes. When we are placed in a new situation, our old behaviors
may not be appropriate. So there is a thawing period during which new behaviors/skills
can be learned. If these new behaviors work well, and are properly reinforced,
they re-freeze and the person incorporates a new set of behaviors.
It is
essential to remember the following points:
- New behaviors
are learned primarily from the leaders.
- It may be a challenge/stress
situation (such as hiking in a downpour - see Challenges below) that
initiates the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze Cycle.
- There may be anxiety
during the Shift process while the person casts of old "safe" behavior
and struggles to learn new behavior.
The wilderness
provides an excellent "classroom" for this type of development. An outdoor
environment, in a small group setting provides an immediate and simplified
environment. You are dealing with basic issues like staying warm and dry,
feeding yourself, and traveling from A to B. As a result the skills you
need are basic ones which give you immediate feedback. If you didn't set
the tarp up right, you get wet. Thus participants are in an environment
where new behaviors are learned quickly.
The other
essential part of the situation is the group. A small group setting (8-12)
provides for diverse interaction and sharing yet also is small enough so
that close relationships can be formed. The interconnections between people
in the group are essential for providing support and encouragement as people
face challenges and learn from them. Once again the leaders must work to
facilitate effective group interaction.
Experiential
Learning is learning through doing. By definition this involves change which
is an active process. Remember that change and new situations can create
anxiety for participants. The general process of personal change is shown
in Figure 9.1
Figure
9.1
What
Causes the Thaw?
- New environment
- Equalizer
- New people
- Positive relationships
- Role models
- New rules, goals
- Stress - physical,
emotional
- Challenge
- Disequilibrium
The fundamental
goal of dealing with challenge is not whether you reach the summit
but did you push yourself beyond your previous limits in the attempt. This
is what creates growth and change, the knowledge that you can move beyond
where you were before. Be aware that if a person gets confused about the
locus of the challenge (e.g. perceives the obstacle to be internal when
in fact it is external or vice versa) s/he may become frustrated trying
to overcome the challenge.
Example:
Jim is having a hard time hiking on a wet, rocky trail. He perceives that
obstacle as internal, "I must be a wimp." In fact, the obstacle is external-the
trail is truly difficult-and everyone else may be having trouble. If this
can be pointed out, Jim won't be so frustrated and angry with himself.
- A challenge may
be something one seeks out (going rock climbing) or something encountered
unexpectedly (bad weather).
- Motivation and
skill may be key factors in moving past/through the obstacle. Many challenges
involve an emotional component (often stressful).
- Remember nothing
is trivial! Each of us experiences challenge differently and each
of us has different experiences which are challenging.
- As a leader you
may want to push someone to attempt a challenge, but know when to back
off. This is a fundamental principla known as Challenge by Choice.
At the final point addressing a challenge should be a personal decision
by the participant, not something they are forced or pressured into.
Accepting a challenge is a motivational choice. Yes, I will attempt
it or No, I won't attempt it. Support the person in either decision
they make. If s/he chooses not to continue, let the person pass and
be supportive in such a way so that they feel empowered by their willingness
to try rather than devalued for not having achieved the task. Accept
the individual's choice, as long as it is not unsafe.
- The key to growth
through the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze process is not whether the person
did the activity, but rather that s/he pushed to his/her limits to try
it.
- Be aware of the
Process of Decreasing Self-worth: Did not achieve goal Sense of Failure
Feeling one is not a good person, feeling that the group will think
less of you . To combat the process of decreasing self-worth let the
person know that s/he is an accepted and valuable part of the group.
Make the person aware of the semantics of the words success and
failure. Neither exist as absolutes though we treat them as such.
In fact, they exist along a continuum. If you try to get from A to Z
and only get to T you have not failed! You have made great strides.
If someone stands at the edge of a rappel for 20 minutes, scared, and
finally decides not to do it, they have in fact succeeded. They pushed
themselves to and beyond their limits probably more than the others
who went down the rope (since it was probably less of a challenge for
them).
- Challenge can
be an integral part of being in the wilderness which is one reason why
OA is able to accomplish so much in terms of personal development. However,
always keep in mind that your diverse group can handle different challenges
at different levels. Make sure you are not placing people in situations
where the challenge is too far beyond their current levels. This does
not lead to feelings of achievement and growth but rather to frustration
and loss of self-esteem (see above).
- Also remember
that "artificial challenges" created by the leaders can be a wonderful
stimulus for development (Example: setting up camp without talking).
However, if the level of challenge is inappropriate, it can lead
to great frustration with the leaders. Make sure that you are not increasing
the Accident Potential (see Section 10 - Safety & Emergency Procedures:
Dynamics of Accidents).
Hiking faster Dealing with people different from yourself
Hiking slower Taking care of the wilderness
Leadership Sharing responsibility
Trusting others Learning a new skill
Responsibility to others Taking risks
Endurance/physical stress Honesty with the group/self-disclosure
What
is Disequilibrium?
Disequilibrium
is also a challenge. It occurs when someone feels "out of their element"
and can often be a stimulus for the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze Cycle. Disequilibrium
is caused by:
- Unfamiliar settings
- Unmet needs (Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs)
Learning
to be an effective leader is on of the most demanding tasks you will face.
Some of the responsibilities and roles you will need to play are listed
below.
- Safety
- Honesty
- Establish trust
- Teach skills
- Be vulnerable
- Role model
- Provide balance
- Adapt to situation(s)
- Make decisions
- Provide motivation
- Facilitate group
interaction
- Move group from
A B
- Be sensitive to
needs of group
- Deal with expectations
of others
Leader
Roles
- Listener
- Confidant
- Initiator
- Decision-maker
- Mediator
- Observer
- Authority
- Advisor
- Communicator
- Friend
- Advocate
This model
of leadership is based on the premise that in working with a group there
are two basic functions which need to be attended to. One is working to
accomplish the tasks the group has set out to do. The other is ongoing maintenance
and development relationships within the group. Thus there are two basic
types of roles or behaviors for leaders to engage in-Task Roles and Relationship
Roles. Examples of these roles are identified below.
- Information
and Opinion Giver: Offers facts, opinions ideas, suggestions, and
relevant information to help group discussion.
- Information
and Opinion Seeker: Asks for facts, information, opinions, ideas,
and feelings from other members to help group discussion.
- Starter:
Proposes goals and tasks to initiate action within the group.
- Direction Giver:
Develops plans on how to proceed and focuses attention on the task to
be done.
- Summarizer:
Pulls together related ideas or suggestions and restates and summarizes
major points discussed.
- Coordinator:
Shows relationships among various ideas by pulling them together and
harmonizes activities of various subgroups and members.
- Diagnoser:
Figures out sources of difficulties the group has in working effectively
and the blocks to progress in accomplishing the group's goals
- Energizer:
Stimulates a higher quality of work from the group.
- Reality Tester:
Examines the practicality and workability of ideas, evaluates alternative
solutions, and applies them to real situations to see how they will
work.
- Evaluator:
Compares group decisions and accomplishments with group standards and
goals.
- Encourager
of Participation: Warmly encourages everyone to participate giving
recognition for contributions, demonstrating acceptance and openness
to ideas of others, is friendly and responsive to group members
- Harmonizer
and Compromiser: Persuades members to analyze constructively their
differences in opinions, searches for common elements in conflicts and
tries to reconcile disagreements.
- Tension Reliever:
Eases tensions and increases the enjoyment of the group members by joking,
suggesting breaks, and proposing fun approaches to group work.
- Communication
Helper: Shows good communications skills and makes sure that each
group member understands what the other members are saying.
- Evaluator of
Emotional Climate: Asks members how they feel about the way in which
the group is working and about each other, and shares own feelings about
both.
- Process Observer:
Watches the process by which the group is working and uses the observations
to help examine group effectiveness.
- Standard Setter:
Expresses group standards and goals to make members aware of the direction
of the work and the progress being made toward the goal and to get open
acceptance of group norms and procedures.
- Active Listener:
Listens and serves as an interested audience for other members, is receptive
to others' ideas, goes along with the group when not in disagreement.
- Trust Builder:
Accepts and supports openness of other group members, reinforcing risk
taking and encouraging individuality.
- Interpersonal
Problem Solver: Promotes open discussion of conflicts between group
members in order to resolve conflicts and increase group togetherness.
The notion
that leadership is distributed enters in because all of these roles
do not need to be fulfilled by the leader. In many instances a member of
the group may be the Energizer who gets people psyched to get out of bed
in the morning etc. As the group matures and develops into a cohesive entity,
more of these roles are taken on by the participants and the leaders can
play less of a active role.
Situational
Leadership Theory (SLT) takes the Distributed Functions Model of leadership
one step further by stating that there is a most effective style of leadership
in any particular situation (See Figure 9.2).
SLT states
that Task Behavior is the extent to which a leader engages in one-way communication
by explaining what participants are supposed to do as well as when, where,
and how tasks are to be accomplished. Relationship Behavior is the extent
to which a leader engages in two-way communication by providing emotional
support, "strokes" and facilitating behaviors.
SLT is
based on an interplay between
- The amount of
direction (task behavior) the leaders give,
- the amount of
emotional support the leaders provide, and
- the "maturity"
level that participants exhibit on a specific task, function, or objective.
Participant
Maturity is defined as the capacity to set high but attainable goals (achievement
motivation), willingness and ability to take responsibility, and education
and/or experience of and individual or group. These variables should be
considered only in relation to a specific task to be performed.
Example:
On the first day of a canoeing trip the participants have a low maturity.
Most have never done it before. They don't know the strokes, the terminology,
or how to canoe with a partner. Also the group is new to the area and each
other. On the fourth day of the trip, the group probably has a high degree
of maturity in canoeing. They have learned how to successfully maneuver
the canoe and how to work together with a partner. They may be able to handle
easy whitewater that you would not have taken them down the first day.
SLT defines
four general styles of leadership based on the degree of Task Behavior and
the degree of Relationship Behavior (see the diagram below).
High
Task/Low Relationship Behavior - is referred to as "telling"
because this style is characterized by one-way communication in which the
leader defines the roles of participant(s) and tells them what, how, when,
and where to do various tasks.
High
Task/High Relationship Behavior - is referred to as "selling" because
with this style most of the direction is still provided by the leader. S/he
also attempts through two-way communication and emotional support to get
the participant(s) to buy into decisions that have to be made.
High
Relationship/Low Task Behavior - is called "participating" because
with this style the leader and the participant(s) now share in decision
making through two-way communication and much facilitating behavior from
the leader since the participant(s) have the ability and knowledge to do
the task.
Low
Relationship/Low Task Behavior - is labeled "delegating" because
the style involves letting participant(s) "run their own show." The leader
delegates since the participant(s) are high in maturity, being both willing
and able to take responsibility for directing their own behavior.
SLT connects
the style of leadership with the maturity level of the group. That is, to
determine the most effective style of leadership, first determine the maturity
level of the group in relation to the specific task. Then draw a line from
the maturity level axis to the bell-shaped curve in the drawing. The intersection
of the line and the bell curve indicates the most effective leadership style
for that situation. As the group matures, the most effective style of leadership
changes along the bell curve.
Example:
On the first day of a trip the participants have a low maturity when it
comes to setting up camp. The most effective leadership style is High Task/Low
Relationship (Telling) since participants need to be taught how and where
to set things up. On the fourth day of the trip, the group probably has
a high degree of maturity in relation to setting up camp. In this case the
most effective leadership style is Low Task/Low Relationship (Delegating)
since the participants can handle it on their own.
The important
point to remember regarding SLT is that there is no one "best" way to
be a leader. Rather, from one situation to the next there is a most
effective style. As situations change, the tasks change and so do the
maturity levels of the individual or group in relation to the task. Thus,
throughout the trip you will be changing your style in order to provide
the most effective leadership. This also does not mean that using another
style off of the bell curve is "wrong" but it probably will be less effective
or appropriate.
Example:
On the fourth day of the trip, the participants know what to do about setting
up camp and are good at doing it themselves. If the leader(s) use a High
Task/Low Relationship style the participants are likely to wonder why they
are being "told" what to do and may get frustrated or angry with the leader(s).
As the
group matures they take on more responsibility for running the group both
in terms of tasks and relationships. The Distributed Functions Model comes
in here because the participants have begun to take on many of the leadership
roles originally provided by the leaders. As much as possible it is a goal
to move to a Delegating style (as long as the participants are ready for
it) since this helps to facilitate growth through the Cycle of Change.
- Age of group
- Motivation of
participants
- Trip situations/activities
- Safety issues
For example: When teaching
an important skill you would be more task oriented. Also in any emergency
situation you need to take quick charge of things via the task oriented
style. Remember to use your "leader's radar" to assess not only the state
of maturity of the group but also the maturity of each individual. You may
need to use one style with the entire group and different styles with individuals
within the group.
Developmental
Approach - Maturity can be increased by the leaders using a little
less task behavior (direction) allowing the participant(s) to take on more
responsibility. If this responsibility is well handled, the leader should
encourage the participant(s) with an slight increase in relationship behavior
(encouragement). Keep in mind that the movement towards changing leadership
styles must be gradual. As the participant(s) reach moderate levels
of maturity the leaders can begin to reduce both task behavior and relationship
behavior. The reduction in relationship behavior means that the participant(s)
have reached a point where they are confident enough and sharing enough
among themselves that the leaders do not need to provide so much.
Regressive
Approach - It is possible that as the situation changes the groups
maturity can decrease. If this occurs the leader(s) must modify their style
in the opposite direction on the bell curve by increasing task and relationship
behavior.
Example:
On the fourth day of the trip it is pouring rain. When the group gets into
camp everyone just stands around somewhat mopey. Even though they know what
to do, the weather has gotten to them and their maturity level has decreased.
The leaders need to become more directive in terms of task behavior to get
camp set up and to increase relationship behavior to help lift people's
spirits.
1.
One-way Communication - giving instructions or making announcements
to the group who are not allowed to communicate. The listeners are passive
and the communication effectiveness is determined by how the messages are
created and presented. It takes less time to communicate info but is less
effective. Though less frustrating for the sender, it is more unsatisfactory
for the receivers. [Assigning a Task]
2.
One-way Communication with Feedback (coercive or directive) - the leader
presents the message and the group gives feedback on how they understand
it. Exchange is completed when the group members indicate to the leader
that they have received the message correctly. Called coercive because no
provision exists for mutual influence or exchange. The communication begins
with the belief that the leaders's position is correct and that the only
information s/he needs form the group is that they correctly understand
and accept the message. It is faster than two-way communication and less
frustrating for the leader but also less accurate and more frustrating for
the group members. [Teaching a Skill].
When one-way
and one-way with feedback are used, communication can be so poor that informal
communication among group members is necessary in order for them to complete
the group's tasks adequately. Unless members have the opportunity to communicate
freely with the leader, the informal network may become more influential
and effective that the group's formal network. It also may lead to fragmentation
and factionalization if the group members have different ideas.
3.
Two-way Communication - is a reciprocal process in which each member
starts messages and tries to understand the other members's message. The
leader and the members freely exchange ideas and information in a productive
discussion. Both sending and receiving skills are needed. All members are
able to participate at will, minority opinions are encouraged and more apt
to be expressed. Feelings of resistance or doubt can be discussed and resolved
at the time. Two-way communication encourages open interaction, distributed
participation and leadership, and consensual decision making. Although it
is much more time consuming and more frustrating for the leader, it is less
frustrating for the group members and much more effective in the long run
since the experience of all group members is brought to bear.
- Clearly own your
messages by using "I" language. (See Leadership Concepts below).
- Make your messages
complete and specific.
- Make your verbal
and nonverbal messages congruent.
- Be redundant.
- Ask for feedback
concerning the way your messages are being received.
- Make the message
appropriate to the receiver's frame of reference.
- Describe your
feelings by name, action, or figure of speech.
- Describe other
member's behavior without evaluating or interpreting.
- Acknowledge how
the other person is feeling.
- Make sure that
your body language communicates your attentiveness to the person. You
should be looking at them, have a focused body posture, etc.
- Paraphrase accurately
and nonevaluatively the content of the message and the feelings of the
sender.
- Describe what
you perceive to be the sender's feelings.
- State your interpretation
of the sender's message and negotiate with the sender until there is
agreement as to the message's meaning.
Leader's
radar is all about listening and assessment. It means being attentive to
all of the members of the group, including your co-leader and yourself.
From a safety perspective, it means being aware of increasing Accident Potential
(see Section 10). From a group dynamics perspective it means being aware
of how each individual member of the group is doing emotionally, physically,
are they being challenged, under stress, getting along with others, in conflict,
etc. It also means having a sense of the group as a whole. How well are
they interacting and coperating, etc. All of this "information gathering"
is for you to determine what each person needs from you in terms of education,
support, encouragement, being left alone, etc. Leader's radar is made up
of concrete listening skills, conversations with your co-leader, careful
observation, and intuition. As you develop this skill through actuial trip
leading experience, you will be better able to dtermine what roles and steps
you should take in working to facilitate a positive group experience.
Research
shows that in western culture there are gender differences where men and
women tend to use different paradigms for communication. Women tend to communicate
with a goal of establishing connection and men tend to communicate with
a goal of establishing status. Both status (asymmetrical communication)
and connection (symmetrical communication) can be present to varying degrees
in a conversation and both approaches are used by both men and women.
These
two different approaches are often correlated with "soft skills" and "hard
skills" which is why these skills have been connected with female roles
and male roles. The "female paradigm" (soft skills) is demonstrated when
the leader is focusing on developing positive connections between the members
of the group. The "male paradigm" (hard skills) is demonstrated when the
leader is giving instruction (teaching) since this ususally creates a hierarchical
structure where one person knows more than another (differential status).
It is
important to recognize your own dominant conversational style and be aware
of the situations where it is most effective. Being a well-rounded leader
means expanding your communication repertoire to include both styles and
recognizing when they are most effective. We need to demonstrate to men
that female paradigms are valid and demonstrate to women that male paradigms
are valid. Like Situational Leadership, there are different situations in
which asymmetrical and symmetrical conversational styles are most effective.
Figure 9.3 shows conversation style as related to Situational Leadership.
As you can see, when the leaders are focusing on more task-oriented behaviors
the most effective conversational style is more assymmetrical since this
is often associated with teaching skills to participants. When leaders are
focusing more on relationship-oriented behaviors the most effective communication
style is more symmetrical since the goal is to develop positive group interaction.
Remeber that both styles will be active in a conversation, just that one
may be more prevalent than the other depending on the situation.
It is
also important to recognize how the dominant styles of your participants
can sometime affect their roles within the group. In groups seeking to develop
camaraderie, men will tend to engage in establishing hierarchy and women
in developing connections. For example, men are often afraid to ask questions
about how to do something because it "places" them in a lower status position.
Men would rather "figure it out for themselves" and maintain independence
rather than feel uncomfortable in "surrendering" control. Women may not
be as ready to "take over" a conversation if they feel it will damage the
connection between members. The degree to which hierarchy can be downplayed
and connection increased improves group boding. The OA model of shifting
more responsibility onto the participants while the leaders move from providing
instructions to developing rapport facilitates this process.
Space
tolerance in communication is primarily the difference between symmetrical
and asymmetrical conversation. Women, with a greater focus on connection,
are willing to wait longer to "fill the conversational gap" than men. Men,
due to their focus on hierarchy, tend to step into the gap more quickly.
This can create the appearance of the male leader as the authority figure
(hard skills) while the female leader is perceived as the group bonder (soft
skills). In fact, both leaders have the same skills. Leaders need to discuss
the issue of their own personal space tolerance and find a comfortable level
for between them so that both leaders can take on different roles with the
group.
Both feedback
and self-disclosure are essential communications skills. Through self-disclosure
we reveal things about ourselves to others in a way that allows us to be
vulnerable and demonstrates that we trust the others in the group. Self-disclosure
by one person tends to lead to self-disclosure by others increasing group
sharing and trust. This is an important behavior for leaders to model to
participants since it helps establish symmetrical communication and encourages
group bonding. Sharing leads to trust. But, one has to trust in order
to share, therefore start with sharing. It is here that leaders
modeling sharing behavior becomes crucial.
It is
important to remember, however, that the level of self-disclosure has to
start slowly. If you get "too deep too fast", you will frighten others away
from sharing. Like Space Tolerance, different people are comfortable with
different levels of slf-disclosure. In order to create a "safe environment"
for all group members you will need to model levels of disclosure that are
appropriate for all members of the group. You can usually tell whether
people are comfortable going deeper. If responses suddenly get "light and
silly" it may be that people aren't ready to go any further. Slack off and
let the group or individual(s) get there at their own pace.
Feedback
is a tool for leaders to encourage positive behavior change, to correct
inappropriate behavior, and to help others see themselves more clearly.
Remember, like self-disclosure, feedback is a powerful tool that should
be used carefully so as to be at a level appropriate to the individual or
group. Leaders should also be prepared to give each other feedback throughout
the trip to see how tings are progressing.
- Decide whether
the feedback should be to the entire group or to an individual. If you
are giving feedback to an individual, decide whether it needs to be
done in private.
- Feedback should
be descriptive rather than evaluative. For example, "When you were at
the crux of the climb and seemed to be having difficulty, I felt that
you took charge of yourself and continued the climb."
- Feedback should
focus on specific behaviors and actions rather than on generalizations.
For example to be told that one is dominating is not productive. Instead,
tell the person, "when we got into camp you told everyone else what
to do and did not allow anyone else to take an active role."
- Give feedback
that focuses on behavior the person can change. People will only be
frustrated if they are reminded of something over which they have no
control or can't change quickly.
- Feedback can be
focusing on positive aspects of the person or group or negative aspects.
When focusing on negative aspects, be sensitive to focusing on specific
behavior that is problematic. Make sure that you express that you value
the person, but have a problem with the specific behavior. Use "I language"
to communicate.
- Make sure the
timing is right to give someone feedback. In general it is best to give
feedback at the earliest opportunity. However, if the person is not
going to be receptive to feedback at this point (disappointed, angry,
etc.), then giving it will not be helpful.
- Try to express
your feedback from a point of reference that will make sense to the
person.
- Has a clear understanding
of its goals: overall and immediate.
- Is flexible in
selecting its procedure as it works toward its goals.
- Has achieved a
high degree of communication and understanding among its members. Communication
of personal feelings and attitudes as well as ideas occurs in direct
and open fashion because it is considered important to the work of the
group.
- Is able to initiate
and carry out an effective decision-making, carefully considering minority
viewpoints and securing the commitment of all members to important decisions.
- Achieves an appropriate
balance between group productivity and the satisfaction of individual
needs.
- Provides for sharing
of leadership responsibilities.
- Has a high degree
of cohesiveness (attractiveness to its members).
- Makes intelligent
use of the differing abilities if its members.
- Can be objective
about reviewing its own processes. Can face problems and adjust to needed
modification.
- Maintains a balance
between emotional and rational behavior, channeling emotionally into
productive group effort.
- Members must interact,
give and receive help from one another, and share ideas, information,
and resources to help accomplish the group's goals.
- The group goal
of getting the task done at the highest level possible must be accepted
by everyone, and members need to develop commitment to the group goal.
- Because the possibility
exists of different group members doing different sub-tasks, groups
may divide the labor in various ways to accomplish their goals.
- Rewards, if any,
must be based upon the quality and quantity of group performance, not
individual performance.
There
are several basic stages that new groups go through as they move to becoming
effective as a group. These stages parallel the Situational Leadership Model
(see above), different styles of leadership tend to work best at different
points in the overall development of the group.
- Forming (Getting
Acquainted) - This first stage is characterized by a sense of uncertainty
and awkwardness and perhaps anxiety. Participants may be unsure of what
to do and how to do it. The "rules of the road"-group norms and standards
have yet to be defined and participants are eagerly looking to find
out what is okay and not okay. This phase often shows as tentativeness
or even some anxiety on the part of the participants. Leaders need to
set the tone for group behavior, activities, and interactions
(see Establishing Group Norms below). Most people are polite as they
try to put their "best foot forward." The result is a superficial level
of harmony and cooperation. This serves the purpose of getting the group
started and off the ground in terms of motivation and commitment. Members
may tend to verbalize how close they feel to each other, and may develop
quite a group spirit due to successful task accomplishment. Leadership
at this point should be a combination of High Task/Low Relationship
(Telling) in terms of teaching skills and establishing norms moving
to High Task/High Relationship (Selling) to get everyone involved and
interacting in the group.
-
-
Storming
(Struggling Forward) - This next stage is characterized by individual
assertive behavior which may result in some group instability. Participants
have begun to feel comfortable enough with their new environment to
take some risks in revealing more of their personalities. Each person
wants to feel a sense of individual importance and influence on the
group - "finding a niche." This becomes more evident as increasing responsibility
is shifted to the group as they move into moderate levels of maturity.
The Leadership style which may be most effective are High Task/High
Relationship (Selling). Leaders should not be surprised if some conflicts
develop in the group at this stage. This is part of the natural process
of the group becoming self-sustaining.
-
Norming
(Becoming Personal) - This stage is characterized by a growth of
affection and establishment of personal relationships. Participants
will begin to take responsibility for resolving conflicts and strengthening
friendships. The Leadership style which may be most effective is Low
Task/High Relationship (Participating) since the group is competent
regarding tasks but needs assistance and support in terms of relationships.
-
Performing
(Working Together) - This stage is characterized by harmony among
group members. Participants look outwards to see how other people in
the group are doing to make sure all are supported. Decision making
and problem solving will be shared within the group. At this stage the
group is mature enough to attend to its own needs both in terms of task
and relationship matters. The leadership style which would be most effective
would be Low Task/Low Relationship (Delegating).
-
Transference
- This final part of the group process is essential in making sure that
the trip is not remembered as "just a fun couple days in the woods."
It is important that participants be able to transfer the things which
they have learned about themselves and being in a group back to their
regular lives. This is accomplished through the debriefing process discussed
in below in Transferring the Experience.
Establishing
norms is an important part of the first stage of group development, letting
people learn "the rules of the road." Many of the group norms that we use
in OA are actually underlying goals for the experience (like group cooperation,
minimal impact, etc.). Group norms can be established in three ways:
- Stating
- telling/explaining to people how to behave, e.g. this is how to wear
a pack.
- Modeling
- demonstrating behavior for others to adopt, e.g. leaders picking up
trash along the trail.
- Importing
- bringing in behavior customary in other social situations, e.g. people
will going off into the woods for privacy to go to the bathroom.
These
methods often must be combined in order to work effectively. For example,
if you want to reinforce minimal impact camping practices you will need
to state it as a goal, explain how to accomplish it, and model the behavior.
If the leader simply tells people to pick up trash along the trail, but
then walks right by trash without picking it up, the participants become
confused as to the norm and may assume that the instruction was merely lip
service. Remember, at the beginning of a trip, participants may not know
what to expect and may not have previous experience in the outdoors. Direct
demonstration is the best way to get things across in this early stage.
Before the trip goes out, think about what sorts of group norms you want
to convey to the group before leaving campus as well as what things you
will need to cover during the trip. Below are some examples of things to
present to the group.
- Group Cooperation
(everyone needs to do their share)
- Minimal Impact
Camping (idea not specific techniques)
- Safety
- Substance Free
trip
- Challenge by Choice
- Good Communication
and Listening between group members
- Debriefing
- Respect for Others
During
the course of a trip, there are a number of decisions that will need to
be made by the whole group. These might include things like where to camp,
which route to take, whether to rest for the afternoon or do a side hike,
etc. Group decision making can be a powerful learning and growth tool for
the group. It can also be a place for conflict to develop. The first thing
to determine is whether it is a decision that can and should be made by
the group, or with input from the group, or is it a decision to be made
solely by the leaders. Obviously some issue, such as those that involve
safety, will be made by the leaders. To present such a decision to the group
suggets that they have authority to make the decision, and if the leaders
disagree, they must countermand the group's decision. Also some decision-making
can lead to splitering the group. Both of these can lead to bad feelings
by the group members and damage the postive group spirit and interaction
leaders have worked to facilitate. Avoid this problem by thinking ahead
and determining what decisions are appropriate for the group to make. It
may be better for the leaders to make the decision from their status as
authorities, that to give the decision to the group and have the process
lead to negative outcomes. Leaders will also need to decide if they should
be involved in the decision process, or "sit it out." Sometime the presence
and perceived authority of the leaders can slant the decision making process.
However, in certain situations, this can work to your advantage as a leader.
Making good group decisions involves a process, which the leaders may have
to state or model as a norm for the group to follow.
Decision
Strategies
- Authority Decides
- In this case the decision is made by the leaders by virtue of their
role of being responsible for the trip or by some person determined
to have the greatest knowledge about the topic. This process can be
very effective when the individual(s) have significantly more knowledge
than the other members of the group. It is also very efficient in terms
of time. In some cases, getting feedback from the group may be essential
for the leaders to have all the facts in order to make a good decision.
For example, if the leaders have to decide about changing the route,
they need to know the physical and mental state of all the participants.
The most common scenario for this decision making process is a safety
or emergency situation. Here the leaders need to take charge of the
group. Keep in mind that some individuals, even though they may be the
most knowledgeable, may not be good at making decisions. Making effective
decisions is a skill that all leaders should develop. If things seem
to be breaking down and a decision is not being made, you may have to
move to another method.
- Majority Vote
- In this case members of the group are polled and the option that receives
support from the greatest number in the group is chosen. This strategy
works well if everyone agrees to be bound by it, and if everyone feels
they have a chance to express their viewpoints and needs. However, it
can lead to splitting of the group. Once again leaders should evaluate
if this method will be a positive or negatice experience for the group.
- Consensus
- This is the most effective method of making a group decision in terms
of members feeling included. Consensus decision making means reaching
a decision that all members of the group are willing to support at some
level. In order to reach this point, everyone in the group must be given
ample time to express their view and time to express their disagrement
with other's views. Through a process of negotiation, the group moves
to an idea that everyone can place some level of support in. this process
can take a great deal of time and "perfect consensus" is almost never
reached. Make sure that you have the time before embarked on this as
you approach. It is counter-productive to start with the consensus process
and then have to give it up to make the decision some other way because
you don't have enough time.
In all
of these strategies it is important for leaders to model good listeining
and communication skills. Leaders may need to act as facilitators for effective
communication through such things as asking people not to interrupt others,
quieting dominant members of the group, and asking quieter members to speak
up.
Group
Decision Making Process
- Set goal(s) &
prioritize them
- Brainstorm options
for achieving goals
- Evaluate the different
options and examine how the options meet the goal(s)
- Determine the
decisio-making strategy to be used (see above)
- Decide on an option
using one of the following criteria
- Best serves
highest priority goals
- Best serves
all goals
- Serves goals
without creating any negative outcomes
- Creates the
least negative outcomes
Conflict
Conflict
can always arise in group settings. Conflict occurs when there are differences
in:
- Needs
- Perceptions
- Goals
- Experience
- Values
These differences can
be between individuals or between sub-groups within the group. Many times
the conflict is due to lack of communication between people. If people understand
the needs, values, perceptions, etc. of others in the group, then conflict
can often be avoided. This is why one of the important roles of the leaders
is to set the tome of the trip and introduce the basic goals, norms and
values (see Group Development above). This gives all of the participants
a common understanding of what is expected and can help prevent conflict.
There are two major goals you must take into account when dealing with conflict
situations:
- Achieving personal
goals (task orientation)
- Keeping good relationships
with the other persons (relationship orientation).
These
two issues may run up against one another. How you deal with balancing these
two goals is important.
When faced
with an interpersonal conflict, here are some of the techniques to use to
help resolve or mediate the conflict.
- Compensation -
ask yourself if the behavior you are seeing is compensation for something
else. Try to identify the root issue and deal with that.
- Accept the person
but you don't have to accept the behavior.
- Quote OA Policies
when necessary. This can take the "burden" off you as the leader. Saying,
"this is OA policy and I am required to follow it as the individual
responsible for leading this trip." This can displace participant frustration
from the leader to the OA Program Director.
- Quickly correct
inappropriate language or other problems. Don't let bad patterns get
started and supported in the group.
- Know how much
to push.
- It is OK for leaders
to use their authority to set standards. You can do this in a problem
situation by letting others know that they are not comfortable with
certain actions. Example, "I'm not comfortable with people doing unsupervised
climbing so don't do it."
Problems
can often be divided into personality related or physically related (injury,
environment). Some possible situations are given below.
- Correcting Group
Action/Decision
- Is there a
safety consideration?
- Is the decision
necessary to correct?
If the answer to
either of these questions is yes, the decision must be changed,
in doing so:
- Act quickly
to avoid safety problems.
- Be subtle
in transmitting information. It may be just to one participant and
not involve the rest of the group.
- Maintain the
worth of all group members and their input even though you must
alter the decision.
- When dealing with
someone having difficulty with a challenge:
- Move the situation
to focus on something outside the person.
- Break it into
discrete, do-able parts.
- Refocus the
persons on a level of challenge appropriate to them.
- If a person is
creating a problem it is essential to accept the person and let
them know they are still important, but you do not have to accept
the behavior. Make it clear that the problematic behavior cannot
continue.
- Feeling of lack
of control leading to fear can be one of the greatest motivations for
negative behavior. If someone is behaving negatively, they may be compensating
and trying to create a sense of self-empowerment and control. When you
see negative behavior ask yourself what needs for that person are not
being met that may be resulting in negative, compensating behavior.
- In dealing with
problems try to turn the problem into a solution - flip it 180 degrees.
"Your disability is your opportunity." - Kurt Hahn
Example:
Sarah is constantly hiking ahead of the group. She is in good shape and
out distances everyone else. She thinks the group is too slow and everyone
should catch up with her. Let her know that the challenge for some other
is just hiking. She doesn't have that challenge. Instead her challenge is
to slow her pace down and stay back with the others using her strength to
help the others. You have flipped a problem into a solution.
Sometimes
you may get into a situation where the other person is really having difficulty
and their behavior is getting out of control, what is often known as an
"in your face" situation. Here are some techniques you can use to settle
the situation out.
- Recognize from
early on when you are in an "in your face" situation or when things
are escalating in that direction
- Don't just enter
a conversation expecting your own outcomes. Recognize what the other
person's outcomes may be. Not being sensitive to the other person's
needs can often escalte things into "in your face."
- Know when to put
off a conversation until another time. Sometimes emotions are running
too high to have a productive conversation.
- Know when the
discussion needs to be private. Other times you may want corroboration
from your co-leader that can't come with a private discussion.
- Don't interrupt
people. If someone is out of control, interruption probably won't get
them back in control. Best to let them have their say completely and
then comment if it seems appropriate.
- Give up being
invested in making your own point. If things are out of control, you
don't want to feed the fire by trying to get your own point across.
Let it be, at least til later. Spend your energies trying to reduce
the anxiety. After things have calmed down, have another discussion
if necessary to get back to your points.
- Go into active
listening mode. Rephrase the person's comments so they know you have
heard them. Read between the lines and ask yourself what is going on
with this person that is motivating them to act this way. Remember compensating
behaviors. If appropriate, you can tell them you disagree with their
points and list your reasons.
- As you rephrase
the person's statements, be prepared to apologize if your find that
they have interpreted you in an objectionable way. "It sounds as if
you are frustrated with my telling you that you can't hike by yourself.
I apologize if that offends you, however, it is the standard OA policy
that the group should stay together for safety reasons."
- Don't raise your
voice or change your physical presence. Stay cool and collected. Changes
indicating your anxiety will only raise the level of tension.
- Monitor your tension
level. Be prepared to clamp down on it. Take a psychological "deep breath"
and chill. This process may need to go on while the other person is
talking.
The following
are some common personalities and situations that may appear on an OA trip.
It is useful to think about how you would respond to the needs of this person
and perhaps to the needs of the group.
- Group comes to
a trail junction, hiking either route is possible. Half of the group
wants to head down to the river while the other half wants to head up
to the ridge. People start to argue about choice.
- One of the participants,
John, has been hiking 1/4 mile ahead of the group all day. When you
ask him to slow up and hike with the group he says: you all should catch
up with me.
- Tom, one of the
group members has been having trouble hiking since the first day of
the trip. He has blisters from his new boots. He has to stop frequently
to rest. At one stop he says he wants to quit and leave. He's sick of
holding everyone up.
- It's been raining
since early morning. The trail has been rocky and the wet rocks have
been slippery making walking treacherous. Everyone is cold and damp
and frustrated. No one is saying anything. The planned campsite is still
2 miles away.
- Suzie always seems
to hang out by herself. She doesn't say much during the day hiking.
In the evening when the group is playing games and getting camp set
up, Suzie goes off by himself.
- Sam and Jill are
the two OA leaders. Sam feels that Jill is be too active in the group
always telling the participants what to do: put the tarp over there,
the stove there, Jill always cooks dinner, etc. Sam tried to tell Jill
to back off a bit. She tells him that she's lead more trips than he
has and she knows what she's doing. Sam has stopped trying to change
the situation.
- Eric and Betty
have signed on to the trip as boyfriend and girlfriend. They spend all
their time hiking together. When the group comes into camp they wander
off by themselves. Several of the group members are grumbling that they
don't help out with camp chores.
- The group has
been canoeing down a flat stretch of the Delaware. Greg and Bill have
been acting pretty wild all day. The group pulls into a campsite above
the first rapid of the trip. While everyone is getting into dry clothes
and setting up camp, Greg and Bill slip off and paddle down through
the rapid. The leaders hear them laughing and yelling after the canoe
swamps.
- Dave is a participant
on a Freshmen Trip. He's been backpacking before and brought all his
own equipment. He acts the part of the tough outdoorsman all the time.
Putting down people who are having trouble carrying their weight or
hiking up steep grades. The other members of the group are getting pissed
off at him and generally feel that he is a jerk.
- You are the leader
on a backpacking trip. You have set up camp early and everyone is hanging
out on their own before dinner. You are coming back through the woods
after taking a dump and you smell marijuana. As you peer through the
trees you see two of your group smoking.
- Joe and Sara are
leading a backpacking trip with 6 guys and 5 girls. The guys tend to
hang out together and are pretty crazy, a little immature. The women
don't really want to have much to do with the guys and stay together.
- The group has
pulled into camp after a long day of hiking. There's 1/2 hour of daylight
left. Steve, a participant, tells Julie (another participant) that he
is going to head up the hill to catch the view before sunset. An hour
later everyone is gathering at the stoves to start dinner. One of the
leaders, Lisa, asks where Steve is. No one has seen him since Julie
did. It is now dark.
- The group has
been hiking along a rocky section of the AT. Alice steps into a pothole
and falls over. She immediately starts screaming that her ankle is broken.
The group stops and while the leaders attend to Alice the rest of the
group shuffles around nervously anxious about Alice and unsure what
to do.
OA has
the potential to be an extremely valuable learning experience for many people.
The key to making it such an experience is transference; encouraging the
person to transfer the things they have learned about themselves and dealing
with others from the trip back to their daily lives. The method for facilitating
transference is debriefing. The idea behind debriefing is to get the participants
to think and analyze their experience. There are numerous forms of debriefing
some which can be done throughout the trip. There also should be a final
debriefing at the end of the trip, to bring the trip to closure and allow
an opportunity for reflection.
Processing
is an integral part of the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze process. It is through processing
that participants are able to take the experience and reframe it in a larger
context that they can apply in other areas of their life. In order to do
so participants will need to reflect upon the experiences they have had,
how they felt, reacted, and explore how they can use this new knowledge
and experience. The essence of processing is self-disclosure, either to
other participants or to oneself. Processing through shared group discussion
is a symmetrical communication process which creates rapport and bonding.
Through self-disclosure students learn more about themselves and learn how
others experienced things similarly or differently. All of these insights
can help lead to personal growth. You should think of processing as a regular
part of your trip planning process, just like laying out a route or buying
food. It is important to have some time each day for reflecting on the experience
and tapping in to how people are doing and feeling.
When
to Process
Leaders
need to be sensitive to when to utilize processing techniques. Both for
the group as a whole and when individuals in the group may need to process
an experience. Here are some guidelines:
- Daily basis
- on a multi-day trip there should be some form of processing on a daily
basis. This can involve informal discussions about the day after dinner
at night. This will help the leaders track where participants and the
group are and help them plan what sorts of challenges and activities
they may be ready for the next day.
- Before a Challenging
Activity - when the group is going to be doing something readily
identifiable as a challenge (rock climbing, high ropes course) it may
be useful to do some processing about the experience that is coming
and how people are feeling about it.
- After a Challenging
Activity - after a challenge participants may need to sit down and
process what happened to them. Depending on logistical issues this might
happen immediately afterwards or sometime later.
- When an individual
is having difficulty - recognize when an individual is in a high
stress situation and needs processing to deal with it immediately. This
may need to be done outside of the group.
- At the end
of the trip - as a time to bring the whole experience together.
- Open Forum
- with this approach you bring the group together and provide an
opening statement in anticipation that the group will volunteer their
perceptions and insights. An example of an opening statement that you
might want to use is "I'm interested in hearing peoples' reactions to
today's peak ascent".
- Questioning
- this entails the development of a set of questions that you would
like participants to respond to after they have completed the activity.
The value of this pre-planning is that you establish specific objectives
that you would like to achieve for the session. Through the identification
of objectives you can develop questions that focus in on the specific
issues that you would like to see addressed at this time. The sequence
of questions that you use will vary according to your personal style.
However, we suggest that you begin with the concrete and slowly *move
on to more insightful types of questions. A general sequence that you
may want to consider involves the use of three simple questions: 'What
happened?', 'What did you learn?', How can you use this knowledge in
the future?' Additional questions that you may want to consider appear
in the section on questions for the levels of processing on pages.
- Rounds
- a round is an activity in which every member of the group is asked
to respond to a stimulus that you have presented to the group. Rounds
are a very valuable tool to make use of. When time is an issue the use
of a designated word or number round or a word or phrase round is useful
for getting people to reflect and communicate in an expedient manner.
It also gives the leader some important information about individuals
that you can use as you transition from activity to activity or can
follow up on at a later time either individually or with the group.
Other advantages of using rounds are that they can be used at the beginning
of group discussion to get members focused. Rounds give each person
time to think about what they are going to say and also they get to
hear what other people think about the topic of discussion. They also
get individuals to think in greater depth about a specific issue. As
will be discussed later in the section on reluctant individuals, rounds
allow you to get everyone involved and finally the use of rounds permits
you as the group leader to survey the group to get a general reading
of how people are thinking and feeling. This can provide you with a
quick survey of how things are going and provide stimulus for deciding
what issues to focus on with the group at this time or in the near future.
When using rounds it is a positive practice to vary the starting point
so that different members get to speak first and last. At times you
will want to begin with the person who you know is comfortable sharing
his or her ideas. This will get the conversation flowing with energy
and enthusiasm. This train of thought may also be extended to negative
and positive energy people who are members of the group. By beginning
with a positive energy person and trying to end with a positive energy
individual, you can avoid the pitfall of allowing the negative energy
member to shift the focus of the group if that is not appropriate at
this given time. Finally, you may want to think about where you want
to end the round especially if you have an individual that you know
is reluctant to talk or who you know is in need of some help.
- Designated Word
or Number Round - this can be done very quickly since each member is
asked to respond with either a single designated word or a number on
a scale, which is usually from 1 to 10. A few examples include: "I would
like each of you to think of your role during the last event and choose
one of the following labels to describe it. 'leader', or 'follower.'"
"On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your commitment to the course
right now", or "On a scale from 1-10, how comfortable are you being
a member of this group right now. A 1 means that you are not comfortable
at all and a 10 indicates that you are very comfortable."
- Word or Phrase
Round - in this type of round group members are asked to respond with
only a word or a short phrase. A few examples include: "I would like
each of you to think of an adjective that describes how you feel right
now." or "I'd like to hear from everyone, so 1 would like you to think
of a word or a phrase that describes how you think we handled the last
initiative."
- Comment Rounds
- in this type of round group members are asked to share more than a
few words either because the question calls for more than word or phrase
or because there is a desire to have individuals express more than just
a few words. Examples that you may want to consider using are: "I would
like to hear a brief reaction from each of you in regards to how you
think that we are working as a group." "How did you feel about your
experience on the ropes course? Let's do a round and hear from everyone."
- Rounds - leaders
give the beginning of a sentence or phrase and ask for a brief response
- One word or
number (ex. Were you a leader or follower today? How would you rate
your feelings about the group today on a scale of 1-10)
- Adjectives
(ex. Give an adjective that describes how today went for you)
- Word or phrase
(ex. How did you do today? Give me a word or phrase that describes
your day.)
- Fill in the
blank (I am happy that today I __________.)
2. Writing
- Free form writing
- Assigning processing
questions for participants to write about
- Writing Activity
Sheets - incomplete sentences to fill out, statements to complete (ex.
I am confident in myself because...)
- Poetry, Haiku
- specific forms that create a more focused style for writing that may
be challenging in their own right for participants
- Write letter to
yourself, open it in one month
- Group journals
- students can write at will or different students can be "assigned"
each day.
3. Dyads
- two person conversations, increases the amount of personal involvement,
useful before large group sessions
4. Small
Group discussions
5. Time
Alone
- Solo - make sure
that you have set up proper safety guidelines when doing solos in a
wilderness context
- Solitary hiking
- spread the group out enough so that people can't talk, but you should
be able to see the person in front of you, one leader at point one leader
at sweep.
6. Drawing
- often produces disequilibrium for adults, provides an avenue for those
who aren't as verbal
- Life Spiral -
draw a spiral with your birth at the center, close your eyes and point
to a spot. Write or talk about why that spot on the time-line off your
life is important
- Symbol - create
a symbol that you feel represents you and explain why
- Personal shield
- draw a shield and add items to your "crest." Explain why you picked
particular items to represent you.
- Structure regular
periods of time throughout the trip. Let people know from the beginning
that you will spend time reflecting.
- Vary the style
and methods used
- Alternate times
of day (if you always do it at the end of the day, people will almost
always be tired)
- Provide sufficient
"wait time" for people to think before responding. Also prevents "quick
people" from jumping in all the time.
- Ask open ended
questions (ex. What did you think was most challenging part of the day?
instead of How many people thought the rock climbing was the
most challenging part of the day?)
- Ask one question
at a time (don't piggy back questions)
- Own the questions
you as (ex. "I'm curious how people feel about today" rather than seeking
a "right"
- answer)
- Give participants
specific feedback (ex. "I like how we broke camp and got moving today")
- Guard against
"small talk" by setting a time line (ex. "Okay, we'll go 5 more minutes")
- If people aren't
in the mood, cut the session short. Don't make everything an encounter
group. Give them options an empowerment for cooling out.
- Move gradually
into increasing levels of self-disclosure.
- Make sure people
are relaxed. Group backrubs, songs, etc. can help establish a relaxed
atmosphere.
- Acknowledge each
person's comments with direct eye contact and a nod, a yes, or thanks.
- Remember that
the leader is modeling the self-disclosure. You can help move the group
into deeper levels by revealing a bit more about yourself, but, like
hiking, go at the pace of the "slowest" member of the group.
- Remember, this
is not an encounter group, just an opportunity for people to remember
their experiences, reflect, and hopefully learn.
- People always
have the right to pass. Make sure you come back to them later unless
you have a sense that answering the question could compromise the person.
If you get strong resistance to answering, don't force it, the person
probably has a good reason for not sharing that information or does
not feel comfortable enough with the group.
- Groups may have
a tendency to wander away from your initial question, which is fine
as long as you feel the conversation is useful. If they have simply
wandered, you may need to help them refocus on the question.
In most
cases processing is done verbally through discussions or questions asked
by the leaders. There are a number of issues to keep in mind while facilitating
a verbal processing session.
- Setting
- processing should be done at a time when all participants can be focused
on the task. Make sure you have enough time to process. Typically sitting
in a circle so everyone can see everyone else is works well.
- Physical Presence
- it is important for the leaders to have a focused physical presence
with good eye contact to participants as they are speaking, a focused
body posture, and verbal or physical acknowledgment of a person's comments.
- Silence
- leaders should not be afraid of silence. Silence comes as participants
search for an answer to a question or are examining feelings, or feel
challenged. Rushing to fill the silence only interrupts the process
for the participants. Wait and see what happens. If no one responds,
try rephrasing the question.
- Sequencing
of questions - processing is based on self-disclosure. Students
need to start at easy levels of self-disclosure and move to deeper levels
in a slow, graduate way. Asking questions that require too much self-disclosure
too early will only force sharing at a superficial sharing. By carefully
orchestrating the types of questions you ask and the order in which
you ask them you can "lead" the participants back through the experience
and help them rekindle their feelings and thoughts at different points
along the way. Then you can ask them to focus on how and why they reacted
certain ways. Finally, you can ask then to reflect on what they have
learned from this trip and how to incorporate that learning. The general
sequence for types of questions is A What? So What? and Now
What? Leaders should use this basic sequence to design a series
of questions for the group.
- A What?
Questions that deal with the factual experiences of the trip. These
are easy to answer and help bring back basic memories about the experience.
-
-
So
What? Questions that ask why particular events were important or
had an impact. These questions require greater self-disclosure and require
participants to think about their reactions to the experience.
-
Now
What? These questions require self-assessment and ask that participants
think about what comes next after this experience, how can they take
what they have learned back to other parts of their lives.
Here is
a sample ordering of questions that touch on a number of areas of a group
experience.
1. Objective
- What is a visual
image that you remember about the trip? Why?
- What is a sound
(noise, word, or phrase, etc.) from the trip that you remember or that
stands out in your mind? Why does it stand out?
- What is an event
during the trip that you remember? Why did it Stand out?
2. Subjective
- If you could remove
one thing from the trip what would it be and why?
- If you could add
one thing to the trip what would it be and why?
3. Expressive/Interpretive
- If you had to
describe the trip in one word what would it be and why that word?
4. Concrete
- What was the most
challenging part of the trip for you? Why?
- What do you think
you have learned from this trip?
5. Responsive
- How would you
describe this trip to a friend who didn't go?
- What would you
tell them they missed?
- How do you think
you can relate this experience to your life back on campus or at home?
Fill
My Cup - This can be a good activity to use as part of your final
debriefing process. There are a number of different variations. The basic
approach is to have one of the leaders start and say something positive
about the person to their left. Then you go around the circle with everyone
saying something about that person. You continue until everyone has been
to focus of the group. Options for the specific statements include:
- Something I like
about you.
- omething special
that you added to the trip.
- A characteristic
you have that I admire.
- A characteristic
you have that I wish I had, etc.
The final
debriefing should be held at the end of the trip, preferably before getting
back to campus. (Once back on campus it is difficult to recapture the
mood of the wilderness and to get everyone together). This series of questions
is adapted from the Thresholds Program as a method of processing an experience.
The group should form a circle and the leader(s) should ask the questions
below. (Other questions can be used, but notice the format of the questions
below. They begin as easy to answer, without needing much sharing and work
up to more intimate questions. Whatever questions you use follow this format).
Everyone should answer each question. Hop around the circle asking people
for their thoughts. If someone doesn't have anything to say at that point,
remind them that they have the right to pass but you do want to hear from
everyone so you'll come back to them later. Everyone should answer a particular
question before you move on to the next question. Make the participants
aware that there are no right answers. They should say whatever they feel.
Leaders should acknowledge all responses with a nod or yes or some other
sign of acceptance. Be conscious of your body language and attitude as you
ask a question; often the attitude you take can influence the willingness
of the group to respond. Remember that leaders are also participants in
the debriefing process and should answer all the questions themselves. Once
again, you are serving as role models so model a "pace" of self-disclosure
that is appropriate for the whole group. Going "too deep too fast" will
push the group back up to a superficial level, whereas, staying too superficial
and light may never get people to really examine their feelings and the
experience.
A What?
- What color represents
the last six days?
- What was one particularly
memorable moment from today?
- What has been
the best part of the trip so far for you?
- Were there any
events today which you found to be particularly meaningful/enjoyable?
Why?
- Did you have fun
today?
- Close your eyes--what
sound comes to mind that would characterize the trip?
- What was your
favorite object from the day? Why?
- What would be
the one thing you would like to take with you from today? It could be
a sound, an image...
- What part of the
day was your favorite and why?
- Today's favorite
time was when I/the group...
- What kinds of
challenges do you feel were overcome by yourself and the group today?
- Give an image
from today that you'd like to remember.
- What did you most
enjoy doing today?
- What's your favorite
movie?
- What is your position
of the effects of television and music on young people? What, if anything,
should be done to correct any problems or ill effects?
- How did you feel
getting back on the trail this morning?
- One new thing
I learned how to do (or learned about) was.....
- What motivated
you to sign up for this trip?
- I thought setting
up camp was...
- Think of an animal
that describes the person next to you.
- What was your
favorite meal on the trip?
- What word would
you use to describe the day?
- One reason why
I decided to come on OA is...
So What?
- Something I'm
looking forward to at Princeton is...
- What is one significant
thing the trip has done for you?
- What was something
that made you stop and think?
- What did you expect
to get out of this trip?
- Did you feel leaders-of-the-day
was useful for you? How?
- Describe in a
few words the real you.
- The best part
of our trip was...because...
- What was one good
discussion or thought that you had today?
- What is the most
embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
- How do you think
today went?
- Do you think that
everyone else enjoyed today? How can you tell?
- Tell about a fear
that you have and why.
- What were your
high and low points of the day? What emotions were you feeling at these
times?
- The most difficult
thing about today was...
- How do you feel
about the not-environmentally-friendly attitudes of people that come
in here?
- Were there any
challenges that you overcame?
- Which is one aspect
of the group that you thought worked particularly well today?
- On this trip,
have you experienced any event that resembles something from the past?
How?
- What memorable
moment could you share with the group?
- Has there been
anything about the trip which you would like to have changed?
- Have you become
more comfortable with the wilderness, or maybe found a greater appreciation
for the wilderness by coming on this trip?
- How do you feel
about the trip thus far? How does it compare to your expectations?
- One thing I missed
by coming on OA was...
- One thing I gained
by coming on OA was...
Now What?
- In a year what
do you most want to remember about these few days?
- Have you discovered
anything new about yourself while being in the wilderness?
- Do you find that
an experience which has occurred on this trip has changed the way in
which you look at a particular aspect of yourself, others, Princeton
etc?
- If you could have
brought one more person on this trip, who would it have been and why?
What would they have added to the group?
- Think of a mood
you felt on the trip. What did it feel like and how do you feel about
it now?
- Has any part of
this trip brought you a physical or a mental challenge? How?
- How have you grown
as a person from these past few days?
- Were there any
challenges that you feel you still need to work towards before achieving
and how would you work towards them?
- Where do you think
this is leading you in terms of values and judgments and how have your
fellow participants helped your growing process?
- Personal qualities
I want to work on in myself are....because...
- What do you think
you have learned about yourself from the group and individual experiences
of the trip?
- How well did the
group work together today? Did everyone feel satisfied by our performance
today?
- How do you think
your experience differed from everyone else's?
- What can you carry
with you from this trip for future experiences?
- What would your
reaction be if, on returning from this trip, you learned you had missed
an important national event?
- What has been
the most important or enjoyable aspect of our week together?
- One interesting
thing that I learned about someone else in the group was...
- The most challenging
part of this trip for me was...
- What is something
that has really been on your mind a lot lately (bothering you or making
you feel good).
- How, if at all,
did the week help ease your apprehension about heading into college
life?
- How has this trip
been different from your expectations?
- What is a personal
challenge that you foresee in the upcoming semester?
- What was something
you learned about yourself when you're in a group situation?
- Would you recommend
this trip to a friend and why?
- The biggest adjustment
for me so far on this trip has been..
- Today was unlike
any day before in my life because...
- Situational
Leadership - the idea that there is one most effective leadership
style for a person or a group based on the situation. It is based on
a bell curve set on a X-Y axis of relationship and task behaviors and
the maturity of the participants regarding the task.
- Teachable Moment
- finding an opportunity to introduce some new knowledge or experience
that "fits" with what is occurring.
- Leader's Radar
- sensing how individual participants and the group as a whole are doing
both physically and emotionally. Using this assessment to decide appropriate
leadership strategies.
- Thaw-Shift-Refreeze
- the basic model of how we change our behavior. Often it is a challenge
or disequilibrium that initiates the Thaw and a supportive environment
is usually required to help Refreeze the new behavior.
- Challenge
- challenge is often a fundamental part of the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze Cycle.
A challenge occurs when there is a goal and an obstacle to overcome
to reach the goal. The goal can be internal or external and the obstacle
can be internal or external. If the participant attributes the locus
(internal vs. external) of either the goal or obstacle incorrectly,
it may lead to frustration. The person may need help seeing the situation
more clearly. Remember that each person will have different things which
challenge them and will experience a challenge in different ways.
- The Edge
- the point at which we make the shift to the new behavior in the Thaw-Shift-Refreeze
cycle is known as the edge. We are at the edge of our know behavior
moving into new and possibly unknown territory. This can be a period
of great stress for the person both physically and emotionally (which
can have safety implications in some activities). It may be necessary
to do some debriefing and processing with the person right then and
there.
- Debriefing
- a process that encourages both personal reflection and self-disclosure.
It is accomplished in various ways and is an essential part of Transference.
- Safe Environment
- creating a "safe" emotional environment so that participants can fell
comfortable telling the group if they are having problems.
- Task/Relationship
Roles - leadership can be broken down into specific types of behaviors.
Task Behaviors are aimed at moving the group in the direction of completing
a task. Relationship behaviors are aimed at fostering effective group
interaction. Leaders may have strengths in one or both areas and should
strive to improve their behavioral repertoire to include both. As the
trip progresses, the participants may take on more of these roles as
indicated by the Situational Leadership Model.
- Challenge by
Choice - an essential aspect of challenge is that the individual
should not be forced or coerced into it. In some situations (e.g. bad
weather) there is nothing we can do. But in situations where activities
are voluntary people must feel the have the right to say no and not
feel a loss of self-worth. This is part of creating a Safe Environment.
- Setting the
Tone - recognizing that the opening stages of any group are very
pliable for establishing group norms. This is the time to introduce
and model appropriate types of behavior. It is also the time to correct
behaviors which are inappropriate before they become established norms.
- Body Language
- make sure that when you are talking or listening to someone that your
body language shows that you are actively paying attention to them.
You should be facing them, attentive, looking at their face (not down
to the ground), and giving other signs like nods to show that you are
focused on what they have to say. When its your turn to talk, your posture
should be the same, your are focusing your message to that person. Looking
away, etc. suggested that you don't think that talking with them is
important or suggests that you are nervous or are not being honest.
Body language is especially important in high stress situations and
emergencies. Part of the way you take control of the situation is through
your body language and physical presence. Be firm, direct, look people
in the eye, speak directly to them and address them by name giving specific
instructions for what they are to do.
- Assessment
- the process of using Leader's Radar to assess the current state of
participants and the group and apply the Situational Leadership Model
to determining the most effective leadership behavior for that situation.
- Leaders as
Role Models - leaders are carefully watched for signs of behavior
that is appropriate or inappropriate.
- Facilitator
- one of the leader's primary goals is to facilitate effective group
interaction and encourage personal growth.
- Honesty
- it is imperative that you are honest with the group at all times.
There should be no hidden agendas.
- Your Disability
is your Opportunity - the notion that in some situations it is useful
to try to turn a problem into a positive situation.
- Success and
Failure are not Absolutes - the idea that not achieving your stated
goal is still success. If you aim to get from A-Z and get to M you have
still traveled a great distance. If someone is having difficulty, you
may need to help them see this.
- I Language
- owning your feelings rather than placing the responsibility for them
on others by saying "I feel __________ when you _________."
- Gender Inclusive
Language - since language can have extremely subtle effects on individuals
it is important to model this behavior. It will make some more comfortable
and may challenge others leading to a positive Thaw-Shift-Refreeze.
- Respect for
Others - this is an inherent value for OA, a form of minimal impact
in working with people. This means that we have to create an environment
where everyone is respected. You don't have to agree with the person,
but you need to respect them.
- Accept the
Person but Not the Behavior - the idea that if someone is exhibiting
problematic behavior that you should focus on the behavior and still
communicate your interest and caring for the person.
- Refocus
- some people in seeking reasons for why things happen some people tend
to be internal attributers (assume it is something they did or didn't
do) and some people are external attributers (assuming it is caused
by something outside themselves). Neither is always true and often it
is a combination. If someone is having difficulty, try to determine
how they are making their attribution, and if it is, in fact, an appropriate
assessment of the situation.
- Transference
- the process of transferring the new knowledge learned from the trip
back to daily life and incorporating it there. Debriefing is essential
to successful transference.
- Recipes, basic
ingredients, chefs and cooking styles - a metaphor for leadership
in which the leaders are chefs. Each may have their own recipes but
there are certain fundamental cooking skills which must be mastered
by all.
- Compensating
Behavior - the notion that the initial interpretation for why someone
is behaving a certain way may be incorrect. There may be another issue
and the person's behavior is an attempt to compensate for a situation
they find uncomfortable.
- Anxiety Meter
- a method of checking to see how stressed people are feeling.
- Space Tolerance
- the idea that each leader tolerates a certain "response space" between
when s/he asks for something to be done and when, if participants don't
jump in, s/he will do it herself. Leaders have different space tolerances
and problems can result. Co-leaders should discuss their space tolerance
before a trip and negotiate how they will deal with differences. If
I have a low space tolerance, and no one steps in, I feel uncomfortable
that a need is not being met and I step in. This can prevent others
(leaders and participants) from taking responsibility and can lock me
into one role on a trip. I may need to expand my space tolerance to
create opportunities for others.
- Co-leadership
- It is best for leaders to support each other in front of the group.
If you have disagreements with your co-leader, it is best to work them
out privately, unless you feel there is a safety issue involved. In
that case, deal with the safety issue first.. Better yet, talk with
your co-leader before the trip to explore the goals each of you has
for the trip, what skills and experience you each bring, what areas
you need support on, and to work out how you want to run the trip. This
also lets you talk about possible areas for conflict like Space Tolerance.
- Right to pass
- people always have the right to pass on an activity. This is part
of the philosophy of challenge by choice. In some situations, like debriefing,
it is important to hear from everyone, so a pass means you will come
back to that person later.
- Pre-trip briefings
- are an important way to start to set the tone for the trip. This
includes discussing activity, laying ground rules, defining the roles
of leaders, stressing minimal impact and safety, and doing some ice-breaking
games (see Initiative Games below).
- Leaders-of-the-day
- is an important structural technique for moving responsibility for
the group from the participants to the leaders.
- Informal discussions
- on the first night of the trip help set the tone for later debriefings.
This gives an opportunity for checking out how the group felt the first
day went, answering questions, and talking about the next day's activities.
It also give leaders a chance to share some of their thoughts in a low
key way that starts to model self-disclosure.
Initiative
games are a great way to bring a group together, particularly at the beginning
of a trip when setting the tone is so important. They can help people get
to know each other and begin that elusive process of establishing trust.
Keep in mind that there is a level of interpersonal risk in some of these
games. Use your leader's radar to assess where the group is and what they
are ready for. Below is a list of some games. (See Section 15 - Bibliography
& Footnotes: Resources for additional resources).
- Use games which
are appropriate to the "level" the group has reached. If you push too
much with games before the group has developed an identity, you may
turn some people off.
- Safety comes
first! In any situation in which people are off the ground they
should be spotted at all times. It is too easy for someone to
fall and injure an ankle, etc. which could ruin the rest of the trip
for them. Also be aware if things start to get too rambunctious and
out of hand; this can often lead to an accidental injury. Slow down
the activity or stop it before something happens. Any
unsafe practices such as hanging upside down, diving headfirst, throwing
people, or overstraining must be stopped immediately. (See Section
10 - Safety & Emergency Procedures: Dynamics of Accidents).
- Consider things
such as the weather and the physical condition of the group to decide
the type of activity.
- Be careful of
such things as glasses, watches and jewelry which can get broken (and
can also inflict wounds).
The
Name Game - Each member of the group must invent some action to go with
their name (a graceful bow, somersault etc.). Each person says their name
and demonstrates their action, and then says the name and performs the action
of the others in the circle. This continues around the circle until each
member has "performed" everyone else's name and action. This is a great
tool to break the ice and get people to know everyone's name.
Name
Game II - Each member is asked to give their first and last name and
some history or some special thing for them about the name. (e.g. I am named
after my great grandmother who immigrated from the moon, or I am named after
my dad's first cat, etc.).
Human
Knot - Stand the group in a circle. Have everyone put their right hand
in the center of the circle with the thumb up. Then everyone should reach
in with their left hand and grab someone else's right thumb. Make sure that
right hands are attached to left hands and make sure that two people don't
have both of each other's hands. Send a pulse around the group to make sure
that everyone is connected (if not, exchange a few hands to connect everyone).
Then try to unscramble the knot back into a circle. This is another great
game to do at the very beginning of a trip to get people to "unwind." The
knot should untangle unless you have an overhand knot (which cannot be undone,
except by creative reconnecting).
Animal
Size Lineup - Whisper to each member of the group the name of a particular
animal. The group must line up from the largest animal to the smallest by
making the animal's sound and/or acting like the animal. No talking. Then
when they have lined up have each person present their animal to the group
and the group must guess the person's animal identity. See how close the
group came in its size lineup. This can also be done blindfolded by just
using noises.
Circle
Sit - Have the group stand in a circle facing in, then have everyone
turn 90 degrees to the same side so that they are facing the back of the
person in front of them. Tighten up the circle and have the group all sit
at once so that each person sits on the lap of the person behind. Once sitting,
try to get the group to move the circle around by having everyone lift the
same foot and shuffle it forward, then move the other foot and "walk." Then
have the group stand back up simultaneously.
Group
Stand Up - Sit the group in a tight circle with their backs to the center
and have them link arms and then try to stand up as a group. You can start
with only part of the group then slowly add more and more people.
Monster
Race - A Monster is formed by counting the number of feet and hands
in the group and dividing by 2. That number is the total number of appendages
(hands or feet) that can be touching the ground. The goal is to build a
Monster with only that number of appendages touching and have the monster
move as a unit from one point to another. If there are enough people, you
can form two or more Monsters and have a race.
Circle
Stand - Draw a circle 1 foot in diameter on the ground. The entire group
must stay within the circle for one minute.
Caterpillar
- Have the group lie down on their stomachs side by side creating a
long line. The person on the end rolls over everyone down the line and drops
in at the far end continuing the line. Go through the entire group moving
slowly across the ground. Make sure that the ground is suitable-not
rocky or covered with glass, etc.
Camp
Setup - Have the group set up camp without talking and only using one
hand per person. This should go on for a specified period of time or until
some event (like the tarp setup) has been completed. For safety, all
stove and fire activities will be performed using 2 hands , minimal talking
is permitted.
A What?
- Sit in a circle facing the center. One person starts the game by taking
an object, turning to the person on his right and saying "this is a _______."
That person then turns and responds, "A What?" The first person says, "A
_______." Then the second person says, "Oh, a _______." The second person
turns to the third person and the entire exchange repeats until it has worked
all the way around the circle. Once people have the hang of it you can confuse
everyone by calling the object some other name (for example pass a rock
and call it a fish) and/or by starting another object going in the opposite
direction from the first object.
Taffy
Pull - First make sure that no one is wearing sharp jewelry or belt
buckles, Then divide the group into two teams, the taffy and the taffy pulling
machine. The taffies all sit down and link arms, legs and bodies to be a
tangled taffy mess. The taffy pulling machine has the job of trying to gently
pull the taffy apart into human sized bits. Keep in mind that the best taffy
is made by smooth stretches-if you pull too hard the taffy will snap. And
it's up to the taffy to decide how much s/he wants to stay part of the taffy
mass. Each piece of taffy that gets pulled off becomes part of the taffy
machine.
Killer
- The OA leader should explain the rules of the game and then when everyone's
eyes are closed s/he should pick a Killer by tapping the person on the head.
(If the leaders want to play, slips of paper can be passed around and the
one with the X is the Killer). The Killer kills by blinking one eye at his
victim. The victim must see the blink in order to be killed and must wait
for 5 seconds after the blink before "dying". (Be melodramatic!) Once killed
you become a spectator. The survivors must try to figure out the identity
of the Killer before they are killed. If someone has a suspicion one can
announce, "I have an accusation." Unless someone else says, "I second the
accusation," the game continues. If someone does second the accusation,
the two accusers count to three and then each point to the person each one
suspects. (Without conferences, gestures, etc. before pointing.)
If they both point to a person who is innocent or if they both point to
different suspects, (even if one of the suspects is the Killer), they are
both dead because of poor detective work. If both point to the Killer, s/he
must confess and the game is over.
Red
Handed - The group forms a circle facing in and one person, who is selected
to be IT, stands in the center. The IT person closes his/her eyes while
the other players pass some small object (e.g. a pebble) from person to
person in the circle. The sneakiest pass is to hold the pebble in one fist,
palm down, and drop it into the palm-up hand of the next person in the circle.
After the object has begun to make the rounds IT opens his/her eyes, searching
for the object. If IT suspects someone s/he taps that person on one of the
person's hands. If the suspect is empty-handed, the game continues with
IT searching. If the person has the object, that person becomes the new
IT and the old IT joins the circle.
Trust
Circle - Group members stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder
facing in. One individual stands in the center of the circle. This person
should stand straight, with feet together on the ground and arms at his/her
sides-continue to stand straight but not rigid. S/he then closes his/her
eyes and gently "lets go" falling to one side of the circle. The group members,
standing with their palms facing the person gently catch the person
and pass him/her across and around the circle. If the person gets out from
the center of the circle, stop the person, hold him/her gently, and move
the circle so the person is once again in the center. After a time the members
of the circle can move out a bit. As this is done the circle members should
stand with one leg behind them to serve as a brace for when they take the
person's body weight. Don't step back too far. The goal is to gently
pass the person, not throw them back and forth across a huge circle.
Back
Rubs - In pairs, a line or a circle, work the kinks out gently. Remind
your group members that people have different tolerances for how hard/soft
a back rub they want.
Trust
Walk - Have the group line up holding hands. One person at one end is
the leader. The rest of the group closes their eyes (or is blindfolded)
and the leader leads them over, under, around and through various obstacles.
The leader must guide the person directly behind him/her by vocal and/or
tactile directions and that person must do the same to the "blind" person
behind him/her and on down the line. This can also be done in pairs. It
is an interesting way to let people explore an environment (trees, bark,
leaves, wet moss etc.) Be careful of people falling, glass etc.
Trust
Fall - Find some object (tree stump, rock etc.) that can be stood upon
which places a person 4 - 5 feet off the ground. It must be a stable object.
Form the group into two parallel lines facing each other. People should
interweave arms with the people across from them to make a "zipper". Have
one person stand on the stump or rock, close his/her eyes and fall gently
into the net. The person must keep their body completely rigid with their
hands crossed over their chest. Start with someone fairly light so the group
gets the feel of it before doing the heavier members of the group. With
heavy people make sure the you have strong folks at about the middle to
catch and support the major body weight.
Dyads
- Separate the group into pairs, preferably with someone they do not
know well and have them find a space together to talk. Each person in the
pair will spend X minutes telling his/her partner anything s/he would like
the other person to know about home, hobbies, family, things they are good
at, goals, Princeton, etc. The partner will simply listen, asking few questions
and making a minimum number of comments along the way. Reverse roles. Then
have everyone regroup and have each person introduce their partner by saying
some of the interesting things they learned about their partner.
Find
Your Feet - Have everyone in the group sit in a circle blindfolded and
without talking. Each person must take off two items of clothing (shirts,
shoes etc.) and place them in the middle of the circle. Mix up all the items.
Then everyone must find their own things and get someone to put them back
on (without seeing or speaking).
Crevasse
Practice - Tie a rope round the waist of each group member about 6'
apart (you may need to have several ropes with several persons per rope).
Have the group break camp in the morning.
Cookie
Machine - Form two lines facing each other standing shoulder to shoulder
with elbows bent and forearms in front, palms up. Alternate arms with the
people to your left and right to create a "zipper." You are the giant conveyer
belt of a cookie machine. The person (cookie) should stand back from the
line and announce what type of cookie they want to be. They cna then slide
into the arms of the cookie machine or run and jump with arms outstretched.
They are then passed down the conveyer belt and are bounced and rotated
so that they bake evenly. Meanwhile the machine should give some baking
sound effects. Be careful lowering the person to the group at the end. Also
be careful of glasses, watches, and jewelry for both the cookie and the
machine. - from More New Games
Yurt
Circle - A yurt is a type of Mongolian nomad tent in which the roof
pushes against the walls in equilibrium, keeping the structure standing.
Form a circle with an even number of people. Everyone should be facing the
center and standing shoulder to shoulder holding hands. Go around the circle,
one person says 'in" and the next person says "out" alternating around the
circle. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. On the count of three
all the "ins" lean toward the center of the circle and all the "outs" lean
back. The yurt stays upright because each part lances and supports the whole.
- from More New Games
Bivouacs
- ridge tops on clear nights with good weather are great for these.
Even if its just getting the group out from under the tarp to sleep out
under the stars (and not be so dependent on the plastic).
These
have become a fun thing to do while hiking down the trail. The person presenting
the mystery should give the situation and ask what happened. The others
participating must solve the mystery by asking questions. The presenter
can only answer yes, no, maybe, or it doesn't matter. (Solutions are listed
upside-down on the following page)
- A man is lying
dead in the forest, with a matchstick clutched in his hand.
- A man walks into
a bar, sits down and asks the bartender for a glass of water. The bartender
pulls out a gun and points at the man. The man says, "Thanks," and walks
out of the bar.
- A man is driving
along a mountain road, listening to the radio. Suddenly, he drives off
the road and over a cliff and dies.
- There is a table
with 53 bicycles on it. A man, sitting at the table, is hunched over,
quite dead.
- A man gets on
a train in town A and heads to town B. He boards a train back to town
A. Halfway there, he becomes distraught and leaps from the train, killing
himself.
- A man wakes up
in the morning and reads the headline of his local paper: "Mrs. Smith
Dies in Ski Accident in Switzerland," and he announces, "That wasn't
an accident. That was murder!"
- There is a man
standing next to a box. Seven people walk in, look in the box, nod to
each other and then the man, and walk out.
- A man goes into
a seafood restaurant down at the harbor. He orders the special for the
day, albatross soup. He takes one bite, then goes out to buy a gun and
kills himself.
- A man is found
dead hanging from the ceiling in a completely empty room with all doors
locked from the inside. There is a pool of water on the floor.
- Three soldiers
were flying in a balloon on a reconnaissance mission over enemy territory.
Unfortunately, the balloon started to lose altitude. Realizing that
if they crash they would certainly be caught and killed, they decide
to take drastic measures. Since they had already thrown all their ballast
overboard, they decided to draw matchsticks. The person with the shortest
match stick would have to jump, allowing the others to escape. The person
dead in the fall was the unlucky one.
- The man who walked
in to the bar had the hiccoughs. The clever bartender figured that scaring
the person with the gun would be better than a glass of water, and he
was right.
- The man in the
car is a disk jockey at a nearby radio station. He had just committed
a murder for which he knows he will be the prime suspect. In order to
set up an unshakable alibi, he taped his radio show ahead of time and
committed the murder while the tape was being broadcast. On the way
back to the station he hears the tape machine malfunction and stop on
the radio. He realizes his alibi is useless and kills himself.
- The 53 bicycles
are actually a deck of cards, with bicycles on the backs. The dead man
was caught cheating (slipping an extra card in), and was shot by another
player.
- The man who lives
town A has been blind all of his life. He has an operation performed
on his eyes in town B in an attempt to restore his sight. The operation
was a success. However, on the way back to town A, the train enters
a tunnel and suddenly there is no light. Thinking he has lost his sight
forever, he jumps from the train.
- The man is Mr.
Smith's travel agent. Mr. Smith murdered Mrs. Smith while they were
vacationing. The agent knows because Mr. Smith, a real penny-pincher,
bought a two-way ticket for himself to Switzerland and only a one-way
ticket for his wife.
- The seven people
and the man were shipwrecked on an island with no food. Finally, in
order to survive, they resorted to drastic measures. They had the man,
who was a surgeon, remove one hand from each person so the group would
have food. The surgeon kept both of his hands so he could perform the
operations. Eventually, the group was rescued. As part of the group's
agreement the surgeon had to have one of his hands removed when they
returned to the mainland. His hand was in the box in the room. The seven
entered, saw that he had fulfilled his part of the agreement, and left.
- The man was part
of the crew of a freighter that sank in the Pacific. He, and two other
crewmen, his best friends, were adrift in a lifeboat for weeks. They
had no food and all their attempts at catching fish had failed. He became
weak and delirious. One of his friends died and the other cut up the
body to keep them alive. The surviving friend told the man that he was
eating an albatross that had been caught. When the man ate the albatross
soup in the restaurant it didn't taste anything like what he had eaten
on the lifeboat. He realized what had happened and killed himself.
- The man committed
suicide in the locked room. He hung himself by standing on a block of
ice, which melted.
Bibliography
- Joining Together,
Johnson, David & Johnson, Frank, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
NJ, 1982.
- Teaching a
Skill, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, NC, 1983.
- Management
of Organizational Behavior, Hersey, Paul & Blanchard, Kenneth, Prentice
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1977.