Did you know that social connectedness is a better indicator of adult well-being than class, education level, and wealth? Are you aware of the sheer volume of data that show how incredibly vital social connections and quality relationships are to personal happiness? There’s a lot of data out there. Not only that, but in addition, … Read more
We’re entering our 10th month of a global pandemic. It’s been disruptive to say the least. COVID has flattened our ability to move in the world freely, and to engage with our communities and families in the usual ways. The question for nonprofits, churches, recovery groups, and other active community organizations is how to be … Read more
Keep the focus on what’s in it for them Getting the group to adopt new tech is a project. We get it. The luddites in the group are naturally suspicious of any new technology. Others think that if the old way is working well enough, why bother going to the fuss of putting new systems … Read more
Control freak-ishness: noun, the tendency towards micromanagement as a coping mechanism for dealing with fear (and unchecked ego) Control freak-ishness is a strategy, albeit a dysfunctional strategy, for dealing with fear. Fear that something will go wrong if the control freak eases up on the reins a bit. Is that you? If you’re the resident … Read more
Two weeks ago we introduced consensus building into our good group management toolbox. Last week, we gave you some malleable steps to bring it to your group process. This week: how to measure dissent in the ranks Dissent in consensus building is a foregone conclusion. The process relies on examining conflict, or challenges to proposed … Read more
Last week we opened the door on consensus building. What is it? Go read our intro! In brief, it’s a set of social contracts and a process. Consensus building gives groups the ability to make more durable and informed decisions in a way that prioritizes member input. While majority rule voting may work in certain … Read more
Typically groups don’t need any help getting into conflict, but they may need help getting out of it. We think a big part of good group management and group leadership is knowing how to be a great facilitator when the group is in the weeds, or the rather the muck, of conflict and tension around … Read more
Two weeks ago, we talked about the 5 dysfunctions that groups commonly face. In short, there are truly not many totally unique problems when it comes to group management. Almost everything comes down to what you’re doing or not doing to build group trust and encourage a depth of connection. Aside: maybe you immediately saw … Read more
Dysfunction junction, what’s your malfunction? We all remember the Schoolhouse Rock conjunction song, right? Anyone? Just us? Bueller? It all comes down to connection In the previous few posts, we’ve talked about how to keep group conflict healthy. We’ve talked about how establishing open feedback loops makes conflict manageable. Today, we’re going to talk about … Read more
Healthy group conflict: secret’s in the sauce When it comes to group conflict, we rarely hear anyone CELEBRATING its inevitable existence. Often, we hear of people and groups trying to avoid it at all costs. BUT, we know that conflict is an unavoidable part of human connection. We know that healthy group conflict can lead … Read more