FACILITATION: Theory and Practice

CHAPTER III
EARLY AND LATER STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP

INTRODUCTION:

A clear grasp of the stages of group development, including an awareness of the

factors that facilitate group process and of those that interfere with it, will maximize your
ability to help the members of your groups reach their goals.
By learning about the problems and potential crises of each stage, you learn when and
how to intervene. As you gain a picture of the systematic evolution of groups, you become
aware of the developmental tasks that must be successfully met if a group is to move
forward, and you can predict problems and intervene therapeutically. Finally, knowledge of
the developmental sequence of groups will give you the perspective you need to lead group
members in constructive directions by reducing unnecessary confusion and anxiety.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the unit, the students must have:
1. described the characteristics of groups in each stage of development and the roles of
members and leaders;
2. understood the implications of one’s understanding of the characteristics of groups
in each stage of development and the roles of members and leaders to the values
educator in fostering a supportive environment that nurture and inspire learner
participation.

CONTENT INPUT
LATER STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

STAGE 4: WORKING STAGE—COHESION AND PRODUCTIVITY

1. DEVELOPMENT OF GROUP COHESION
a. Nature of Group Cohesion – Group cohesion involves a sense of belonging, inclusion,
solidarity, and an attractiveness of a group for its members. Cohesiveness is the result
of all the forces acting on the members that make them want to remain in the group.
b. Cohesion as a unifying force – As the group reaches a level of cohesion, it is quite
common for members to comment on how alike they are in the feelings that connect
them. These commonalties can be expressed in a variety of ways:
• I’m not alone in my pain and with my problems.
• I’m more lovable than I thought I was.

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• I used to think I was too old to change and that I’d just have to settle for what I
have in life. Now I see that what I feel is no different from what the younger
people in here feel.
• I’m hopeful about my future, even though I know I have a long way to go and
that the road will be rough.
• There are a lot of people in here I feel close to, and I see that we earned this
closeness by letting others know who we are.
• I learned that the loneliness I felt was shared by most of the people in this group.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE WORKING GROUP

Here are some general trends that identify a group in its working stage:
• There is a here-and-now focus. People have learned to talk directly about what they
are feeling and doing in the group sessions, and they are generally willing to have
meaningful interactions.
• Members more readily identify their goals and concerns, and they take responsibility
for them. They are clear about what the group and the leader expect of them.
• Members are willing to work and practice outside the group to achieve behavioral
changes.
• Most of the members feel included in the group.
• The group has almost become an orchestra in that individuals listen to one another
and do productive work together.
• Members continually assess their level of satisfaction with the group, and they take
active steps to change matters if they see that the sessions need changing.

3. THERAPEUTIC FACTORS OF A GROUP

The following brief overview provides a summary of the specific factors that ensure
that a group will move beyond the security of cohesiveness into productive work.
a. Trust and Acceptance – Group members at the working stage trust one another and
the leader, or at least they openly express a lack of trust.
b. Empathy and Caring – Empathy involves a deep capacity to recall, relive, and tap one’s
feelings through the intense experiences of others.
c. Intimacy – Genuine intimacy develops in a group when people have revealed enough
of themselves for others to identify with them.
d. Hope – If change is to occur, members must believe that change is possible, that they
need not remain trapped in their past, and that they can take active steps to make
their lives more authentic.
e. Freedom to Experiment – Experimentation with different modes of behavior is a
significant aspect of the working stage.
f. Catharsis – The expression of pent-up feelings can be therapeutic because it releases
energy that has been tied up in withholding certain threatening feelings.
g. Cognitive Restructuring – A central part of the work done in a group consists of
challenging and exploring beliefs about situations
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h. Commitment to Change – For change to occur, a person must believe that change is
possible, but hoping for change is not enough. Constructive change requires a firm
resolve to actually do whatever is necessary in order to change. Members must decide
what to change as well as how to change it.
i. Self-Disclosure – Disclosure is not an end in itself; it is the means by which open
communication can occur within a group.
j. Confrontation – Like self-disclosure, confrontation is a basic ingredient of the working
stage; if it is absent, stagnation results. I typically emphasize the following points
about effective confrontation:
i. Remember that confrontation must be based on respect for others and that
it is aimed at challenging others to look at unrecognized and unexplored
aspects of themselves.
ii. Use confrontation only if you want to get closer to a client and only if you
are willing to stay with the person after the confrontation.
iii. Learn to discriminate between what may be a judgmental attack and a
caring challenge.
iv. When you confront a person, address his or her specific behaviors that
affect others in the group.
v. Take responsibility for your behaviors instead of blaming others for how you
respond.
k. Benefiting From Feedback – The definitions of feedback tend to address information
about a person, from an external source, about the individual’s behavior and/or the
effects of that behavior (Claiborn, Goodyear, & Horner, 2002).
l. Commentary – Not all groups reach the working stage described here. This does not
necessarily mean that the leader or the group is ineffective. Changing membership in
a group can block its progress.

4. SUMMARY OF THE WORKING STAGE

Stage Characteristics – When a group reaches the working stage, it has these central
characteristics:
• The level of trust and cohesion is high, although variable and fluid.
• Communication within the group is open and involves an accurate expression of
what is being experienced.
• Members interact with one another freely and directly.
• There is a willingness to risk threatening material and to make oneself known to
others.
• Conflict among members is recognized and dealt with directly and effectively.
• Confrontation occurs in a way in which those doing the challenging avoid labeling
others in judgmental ways.
• Participants feel supported in their attempts to change and are willing to risk new
behavior.
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• Members feel hopeful that they can change if they are willing to take action; they
do not feel helpless.
Member Functions and Possible Problems – The working stage is characterized by the
exploration of personally meaningful material. To reach this stage, members must fulfill these
tasks and roles:
• Bring into group sessions issues they are willing to discuss.
• Give others feedback and be open to receiving it.
• Share how they are affected by others’ presence and work in the group.
• Practice new skills and behaviors in daily life and bring the results to the sessions.
• Continually assess their satisfaction with the group and actively take steps to
change their level of involvement in the sessions if necessary.
• Some problems may arise at this time:
• Members may gain insights in the sessions but not see the necessity of action
outside of the group to bring about change.
• Members may withdraw after intense self-disclosure or because of anxiety over
others’ intensity.
• Members may take refuge through observing others’ work.
Leader Functions – The central leadership functions at this stage are these:
• Provide systematic reinforcement of desired group behaviors that foster cohesion
and productive work.
• Look for common themes among members’ work that provide for some
universality.
• Continue to model appropriate behavior, especially caring confrontation, and
disclose ongoing reactions and perceptions.
• Interpret the meaning of behavior patterns at appropriate times so that members
will be able to reach a deeper level of self-exploration and consider alternative
behaviors.
• Be aware of the therapeutic factors that operate to produce change and intervene
in such a way as to help members make desired changes in thoughts, feelings, and
actions.

STAGE 5: FINAL STAGE—CONSOLIDATION AND TERMINATION

Joyce, Piper, Orgrodniczuk, and Klein (2007) identify the following as essential tasks to
address during the termination phase of group therapy:
• Review and reinforce changes made by each of the members of the group.
• Assist members in reexamining their relationship with the group leader and other
group members.
• Help participants learn how to face future challenges with the tools they acquired in
the group.
1. EFFECTIVE WAYS OF TERMINATING A GROUP
a. Dealing with Feelings – During the final stages of the group, it is a good practice
for the leader to remind members that there are only a few sessions remaining.
b. Examining the Effects of the Group on oneself

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c. Giving and Receiving Feedback – To help participants take advantage of this

opportunity, during one of the last few sessions you may generally ask members
to give a brief summary of how they have perceived themselves in the group,
d. Completing Unfinished Business – Addressing unfinished business should not be
put off to the very last session.
2. SUMMARY OF THE FINAL STAGE
Stage Characteristics – During the final phase of a group, the following characteristics are
typically evident:
• There may be some sadness and anxiety over the reality of separation.
• Members are likely to pull back and participate in less intense ways in anticipation
of the ending of the group.
• Members are deciding what courses of action they are likely to take.
• Members may express their hopes and concerns for one another.
• There may be talk about follow-up meetings or some plan for accountability so
that members will be encouraged to carry out their plans for change.
Member Functions and Possible Problems –
• Deal with their feelings and thoughts about separation and termination.
• Complete any unfinished business, either issues they have brought into the group
or issues that pertain to people in the group.
• Make decisions and plans concerning ways they can generalize what they have
learned to everyday situations.
• Identify ways of reinforcing themselves so that they will continue to grow.
• Explore ways of constructively meeting any setbacks after termination of a group.
• Evaluate and express the impact of the group experience.
• Some problems can occur at this time:
• Members may avoid reviewing their experience and fail to put it into some
cognitive framework, thus limiting the generalization of their learning.
• Due to separation anxiety, members may distance themselves.
• Members may dwell on conflicts that occurred in their group.
• Members may consider the group an end in itself and not use it as a way of
continuing to grow.
Leader Functions –
• Reinforce changes members have made and ensure that members have
information about resources to enable them to make further changes.
• Assist members in determining how they will apply specific skills in a variety of
situations in daily life, including helping them to develop specific contracts and
action plans aimed at change.
• Help members to conceptualize what is taking place in the group and identify key
turning points.
• Help members to summarize changes they made and to see commonalities with
other members.
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• Assist participants to develop a conceptual framework that will help them

understand, integrate, consolidate, and remember what they have learned in the
group.
• Create an aftercare plan for members to use at a later point.

STAGE 6: POSTGROUP ISSUES—EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP

1. EVALUATING THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES OF A GROUP
Evaluation is a basic aspect of any group experience, and it can benefit both members
and the leader. Evaluation is not a procedure to use only at the termination of a group. It
should be an ongoing process throughout the life of a group—or at least at important turning
points in the group—that tracks the progress of individual members and the group as a whole.
These questions are designed to get information on key matters:
• Did the group have any negative effects on you?
• How has the group influenced you in relation to others?
• Have your changes been lasting so far? Is so, how?

2. THE FOLLOW-UP GROUP SESSION

It is wise at the final session of a group to decide on a time for a follow-up session to
discuss the group experience and put it in perspective. This session is valuable not only
because it offers the group leader an opportunity to assess the outcomes of the group but
also because it gives members the chance to gain a more realistic picture of the impact the
group has had on them and their peers.

3. INDIVIDUAL FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS

These individual interviews after the termination of a group, which may last only 20
minutes, help the leader determine the degree to which members have accomplished their
goals. Members may reveal reactions in the individual session that they would not share with
the entire group.

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