Groupwork Skills Techniques and Strategies to help you manage a group Julie Cooper Spring Development

The Groupwork Toolkit £ % off at the checkout using the code ‘Unimenta’ at Spring Publishing The Groupwork Toolkit: How to convert your one to one advice skills to work with groups

What we are covering today: Techniques and strategies to help you manage a group, including preparation Using ground rules Balancing everyone’s needs and expectations Dealing with common problems Two golden rules

Managing expectations This or this?

Groundrules What you need will vary depending on: The length of the programme What participants understand about requirements The experience of participants The culture of the organisation The diversity of the group Your personal boundaries

Groundrules...what would you write? You have responsibility for making your own view heard – and also for helping your colleagues express theirs. ≈≈≈≈≈≈

Balancing needs

Learning Cycle

Preparation

The Session Plan COURSE: Do Better in Job Interviews 3 hours 12 people OBJECTIVES:-By the end of the session students will: 1.Have analysed a job vacancy and matched their competencies to those required 2.Have practised describing their relevant competencies in a mock interview 3.Feel more confident in their ability to do well in a job interview TimeActivities / ContentDelivery Method EquipmentMaterials 9.30Introductions + Domestics Ground Rules & Issues Programme for morning Present to whole group - invite participa- tion Flip Chart Powerpt and Projector Booklets P-point Slides Ice breaker – Intro: What do you expect or fear from interviews? Pair work, report back to whole gp Flip chartpens 9.55What employers are looking for How interviews are structured and assessed Present to whole group with questions ProjectorP-point Slides Competency based interviews (1) Analyse a Vacancy and (2)give evidence - "STAR stories" (1) Small groups then report back (2) whole group Flip ChartExample of a vacancy - 1 each Slide 10 STAR chart – 1 each Slide 11

The Session Plan CV Workshop for Employees facing Redundancy3 hours Aims To give delegates sufficient knowledge and understanding to be able to construct an effective CV and personal statement To get them started on producing one of each To give delegates an overview of jobsearch techniques and methods 9.30am: Aims, programme, each other. What do you want from today? Any concerns? PowerPoint slides 1-6. Discuss in small groups, 9.45amflipchart responses, PowerPoint slides am Profile Exercise Input – importance of the ‘headline’ etc, look at example profiles on PowerPoint. Refer to CV words handout. Work individually for 15 mins to brainstorm ideas, choose words you want to include in your profile, key skills etc. Move into pairs for 5 mins to get another persons opinion 10.40am Employment History Eg on PowerPoint. Pulling out relevant key achievements, responsibilities, duties etc 11.15am Example CV’s Show examples, look at critically. What impression do they create? (30 seconds is average looking time) Different styles – skills based, functional etc Clean layout, use of vocab etc Questions on CV’s?

The Session Plan Tips: ‘Must do’ in black ‘ Should do’ in red ‘Could do’ in green - Check against learning styles - Check it takes you through the learning cycle - Options for flexibility - Make sure it works for you!

Aims....where to? What are you trying to achieve? Why? What do you want to the group know? Feel? Experience? Do? Be explicit Written so that group members can identify with them

Measuring progress You can’t measure afterwards if you didn’t measure before! “On a scale of 1-10, how confident Do you feel about....”

Rule No 1 Behave as if..... You are the environment Body language Breathing, Preparedness, calm, Small talk

Behave as if..... What if you’re: Too friendly? Too apologetic? Too rushed? Showing nerves? Unprepared? Unequipped? Mood is contagious!

Rule No 1...you expect a successful... Know what success is

Rule no 1....enjoyable session.

Rule no 2 Head them off at the pass

Common problems Nora Know It All What is her motivation? “Give me one sentence that sums up...” Ask her to hold back until everyone has had their say Give her attention during breaks

Common problems Horace the Hostile Remember the helicopter view It may be a mask for fear Damage limitation You can agree to differ Build on his points

Common problems Sylvester the Silent..is inscrutable! Does he participate in individual tasks? Pairs? If he is shy, use a light touch

Thank you for taking part. Please do let me know if you have any questions or feedback. If you would like to keep in touch, please join my mailing list at