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Lessons are for students who are working and interested in social work.

Group dynamics

By a group we mean two or more persons who have something to do with each other and maintain contact with each other in connection with this.

Write down 7 groups of which you are a part.

~ Are you voluntary or non-voluntary a part of that group?
You are voluntarily in this class, you are not voluntarily a member of the blue-eyed or a group of cancer patients.

~ Open and closed groups.
An open group takes on new members, so school is an open group, if
you can join it.
An open group is open to outsiders and new members; they often give
information about what's happening in the group.
Closed groups are closed to outsiders; groups often have
such high demands that, in fact, very few people meet the conditions
...can suffice. E.g. high contribution.

~ Formal and informal groups.
Formal is officially formed according to certain rules and agreements.
[political party, a school class]
Informal group happens to be formed according to inofficial rules.
[circle of friends, subgroup in class]

Name a group you're part of and you're not happy with.
How come you're in the group.

- How big is the influence of that group on your behaviour [0-10]?

- Group cohesion [cohesion within the group, togetherness].
Give a score from 0 to 10 about the group cohesion within your groups.

Take a few leaders in mind (perhaps your great example):

What personal qualities do they have?
Give percentages in the 3 leadership styles for your way of working.
Total 100%. [authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire]

Possible consequences of the styles :

Authority : Manager is the boss.
Atmosphere:
- Afraid to fail
- Competition, the best wants to win.
- No room for creativity.

Democratic: Room for participation.
Atmosphere:
- Everyone feels responsible.
- Hardly any competition.

Laissez - fair: Figure it out.
Atmosphere:
- Every man for himself.
- Messy
- You just have to see what's coming of it.

~ Task-focused leaders are often task-focused.

~ Relation-focused leaders are more concerned with the understanding within
the group.

As a direct manager I prefer a man/woman [explanation].

Statements:
a. Rules work best if you let the group make the rules themselves.
b. Rules allow you to experience what freedom is.
c. You'd better keep the informal leader of a group of clients a friend.
d. It is easier to talk to your colleague about a "shortcoming" in a team meeting than in person.
_

Leadership positions:

- Taking initiatives; setting the group in motion, identifying goals, proposing methods.
- Regulating; making and stating rules, determining direction and pace, setting goals.
- Inform; informing others and asking for information,
- Support; create a pleasant atmosphere, reduce tension, encourage, compliment.
- Evaluate; look back, what went well and what did not, make adjustments if necessary.
_

This is how leadership styles can emerge:

- Style 1 for groups of people who do not want to or dare not and can not. An instructive leadership style fits in here. Clearly giving and controlling instructions.
For the first time a group of children has to clean a hall with vacuum cleaners, which they have just sprayed with a fire hose.

- Style 2 for groups who want to and dare, but are not (yet) able. Here fits a convincing style. The participants are motivated, but have yet to be helped. The leader asks the participants for advice, but decides for himself.
A toddler leader is going to make a musical with the children for the first time; the children like it, but still need help.

- Style 3 for groups that are able, but do not want or dare. Here fits a consultative style, so that group members - in consultation with the supervisor - find out what they want.
A group of children who have already performed all kinds of plays, should - without being in the mood for it - make a new play.

- Style 4 for groups that are able and willing/daring. Here fits a delegating style. Participants find out for themselves what to do and how to do it.
A group can produce a play independently and is highly motivated. Hardly any supervision is needed.

1 and 2 are styles of leadership. 3 and 4 are styles of accompaniment.

Which style fits?

The purpose of the exercise is to come up with arguments to consciously choose a certain leadership style for a certain situation.

Working method
Indicate in the diagram below for which style you choose, in that situation:
- style 1: instruct
- Style 2: Convince
- Style 3: Deliberate
- Style 4: delegate

Write down for yourself some reasons why you choose that style.
Exchange the outcome and the reasons with your neighbour.

Situation 1: The first training for an insecure group of children.
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:

Situation 2: Organising a neighbourhood party with an enthusiastic group of local residents for the first time.
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:

Situation 3: Giving a group of insecure elderly people gymnastics for the first time.
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:

Situation 4: First training after a won cup final (and a fantastic party).
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:

Situation 5: A homework supervision hour for unmotivated students, with a lot of pupils who don't like such a supervision hour at all.
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:

Situation 6: Teaching gymnastics to a group of enthusiastic, busy and restless toddlers for the first time.
I choose style 1/2/3/4, because:
_

Exercise "Building a tower"

Purpose of the exercise is:
- To let you experience what it is like to work with different styles as a leader:
- to be experienced to be led as a participant with different styles.
- Recognise group roles

Within a group, social structures always arise. Each has its own role(s) within this social structure.
As a basis you can distinguish three types of roles:
- The social roles: Focus on the relationships.
Usually strives for satisfaction for everyone. Their goal is to keep the group together. Criticism, aggression and disagreement are avoided.
- The task-oriented roles: Focus on the task, the assignment. Devotes little attention to social relationships. They are neither extremely friendly nor hostile. They work withdrawn and calmly on their task.
- The neutrals roles: are usually members of a group out of self-interest or because they are obliged to participate and hardly feel involved (they do their thing).

Through the whole of the positions and the relationships that the group members form among themselves, the final group structure is created. It can be useful to map out this group structure.

Working method:
- Divide the class into four groups.
- One of these persons is the (wish) leader. Determine who.
- Group 1 has an authoritarian leader
- group 2 has a democratic leader
- group 3 has a participating leader
- Group 4 has a laissez-faire leader

Provide the following supplies:
- 100 sheets of A4 paper
- Two scissors per group

The goal is for each group to build the highest tower possible using the supplies.

Preparation
- Discuss in the whole group how the 4 different leaders will behave.

Review:
- Which group had the highest tower? What did this have to do with the
leadership style?
- In which group was the best atmosphere? What did this have to do with the
leadership style?
- What can you learn from this exercise?

_

The mutual cohesion of a group is called group cohesion. Cohesion manifests itself in things like:
- Professional pride > pride that you are part of the group
- solidarity > feeling of solidarity
- loyalty > you're loyal to the group or an individual
- hanging out
- intimacy > you feel safe and secure together

The greater the cohesion between the members, the stronger the group will be and the objectives will be achieved more efficiently.

Factors that strengthen cohesion; (think for yourself)
- The group grants status and recognition to its members
- Members like each other
- There is the possibility of carrying out joint activities
- The attitude is positive towards the group and encourages it.

Factors that inhibit cohesion:
- Formation of subgroups within the group as a result of dominant or competitive behaviour.
- Personal disagreements
- Business disagreement
- Failure of the group to meet the targets.

The sociogram:
Shows the relationships between the group members.
There are several ways to create a sociogram.

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A good exercise in group cohesiveness is "Come into our group".
- One person in the corridor.
- The rest of the class makes a circle and makes sure that one person cannot enter the group.
- Teacher doesn't say anything about rules.
- You can also do the exercise with a few students observing the group process.

I have supervised this exercise many times and the results are very varied.
- What are people capable of to not let someone in?
- What roles are created within the group?
- What is it that someone does not agree with the purpose of the exercise?
- What is someone able to do within the group?

You can contact me and then I can tell you what happened, really too much to mention.

Important note: Provide security.

Peer pressure
Is the name for the pressure exerted by a peer group on a particular person or smaller group to change their behaviour.
This can happen in a positive as well as in a negative sense.
Peer pressure can have to do with views on certain topics, preferences for music and clothing or the outlook on life.
Peer pressure means that the people around you put pressure on you. This pressure can be conscious or unconscious.
So far no one can resist peer pressure, we are all subject to it.
Peer pressure is necessary to form groups and to achieve results.
But peer pressure can also have very negative consequences, both towards the members of the group (e.g.: bullying, hitting someone, discrimination, etc.).
Peer group: A group of peers you want to belong to. You are also going to adopt the values and norms of the group. Ideas and opinions that are not the same as those of the parents. First parents very important now more and more peers.

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