Groups are not just efficient, they are also effective!

By Dr Tim Williams

With resources stretched, it’s tempting to use groups as an efficient way to get the waiting list down. They can absolutely do that, but when facilitated well, they can deliver so much more.  Much of the reason for the success of working with groups is due to the power of the group.  Indeed, groups can deliver what 121 coaching rarely does:

1.         Vicarious experiences (social modelling)

Watching someone similar to you succeed, it's far more persuasive than watching a coach or expert do it - "if someone like me can do it, so can I." This belief in one’s own capacity to execute behaviours needed to produce a specific outcome is, as many know, “Self-Efficacy” (Albert Bandura).  He suggested that this, is one of the strongest predictors of whether people will attempt a behaviour, how much effort they'll put in, and how long they'll persist when things get hard.

2.         Verbal/social persuasion

Encouragement from a coach counts, but encouragement from peers, who are in the trenches with you, often carries more weight because it's seen as less obligatory or scripted – it's more credible!

So, what makes for an effective group?

At Peak we think the main ingredients can be summarised as 5Ps and 4Cs.  If you wanted to know more about these, then you’ll likely need to book yourself or a colleague onto our ‘Working with Groups’ course.  In the meantime, the following might get your thinking started…

1.        Purpose – what the aim of the group?

2.        People – who is the group for?

3.        Plan – how will the sessions be structured? (including  3 C’s of Connection, Contracting and Coaching)

4.        Preparation – Bearing in mind the answers to questions (1-3), what preparation is required?

5.        Progress – How will you measure the progress of the group? Where to participants progress to? (this is the 4th ‘C’ of Community).

Working with groups is a requirement (Area D) of the competencies required to progress up through the NHS Tiers, but please don’t do it because you have to, or because it's efficient.  Do it because it builds self-efficacy, it's sustainable, empowering and energising... and eventually, when you get to grips with it, working with groups is a complete joy!