Concepts

Focal Conflict Model

Based on the work by Whitaker and Lieberman, this model assists us describe group behaviour in resolving conflicts and crafting solutions. The model identifies enabling solutions which take the group forward in its development and the relationships amongst group members, and restrictive, short term solutions, where there is little creativity or freshness. Usually with restrictive solutions, group members find themselves relitigating issues, with the same old problem re emerging as the fears (often unexpressed) have not been adequately resolved.

Group Development

The concept of group development is central to our work. Underpinning this concept is the notion of tele™ that flow of feeling between people. Tele is described as positive (moving towards, choosing), negative (moving away, not choosing) or neutral. Within positive and negative tele is the notion of strong or weak. In group development, as people get to know one another, they make connections usually to do with shared experience. Being the eldest in a family, being adopted, having a child, being born in another country, liking action movies, enjoying a good argument, and early death of a parent, disliking exercising, being passionate in doing a good job, interest in the intricacies of technology, having grandparent in the holocaust, driving old cars; a myriad of experience and interests create links between people.

Often these occur naturally and sometimes these connections need to be facilitated. When people are together over time, and these links are not facilitated, people create ideas and assumptions about others. We make untested conclusions about people and their perceptions of us, and we become negative to them. Group development occurs when positive connections are created between people. The more mutual positive connections there are between people, the more creativity, flexibility and shared approach to problem solving occurs. People feel valued, involved and included and find it easy to make their best contribution.

Levels of Learning

Underpinning work by Jacob Moreno, Max Clayton, and Peter Senge and others are the concepts of different levels of learning for example, first level includes information, second level involves learning tools or concepts and the third level includes heart learning and transformation. Each Level has its place in organisation development and it is important to identify which is relevant for each organisation intervention.

Mirroring

This process enables individuals and groups to get a real glimpse of their own functioning. This can be via personalised relevant feedback or organisation assessment. Each provide an accurate and compassionate assessment of what's going on. Mirroring enables the recipient(s) gain a clear picture of themselves, or what's going on in the team or group. This in turns creates a sense of unity, in gaining a shared perspective in what is occurring. "Yes, that's what we thought was happening here". From here, group members become more resourceful within themselves and are more likely to come up with creative solutions to the dilemmas in front of them.

Role Analysis

Derived from Jacob Moreno's work. A role describes our functioning in a particular moment in response to another person or object; and has three components; thinking, feeling and action. We have thousands of roles in our internal repertoires, some are more apparent than others. Role analysis provides a lively way to identify aspects of our functioning that are Progressive; roles which assist us to move towards others and have them move towards us or be attracted to us; The Coping role system is a person's best attempt at managing an anxiety-provoking situations. The primary task is on alleviating anxiety and maintaining equilibrium, however this may be a restrictive response; and Fragmenting. Fragmenting roles have us move away from others, or them move away from us, the relationship connection is broken, and not mutual.

Essentially we work to identify the roles we have which assist in building relationships, and bring out the compassionate truth. Role analysis assist also us to identify and make a good assessment of what is occurring within relationships between people and groups.

Sculpting

We use objects to create pictures and images to concretise aspects of systems: systems of inter personal relationships, within teams, or inter team, and organisational systems. Sculpting and responding to the sculptures created, stimulates the imagination, enables new perspectives to be developed and displayed and enables exploration of the relationships between aspects, or between people.

Sociodrama

Is the pragmatic exploration of social and organisational dilemmas through exploring, clarifying, and resolving issues of significance to groups of people and between and sub groups within a system.

Sociogram

Often called relationship maps, or social networks, sociograms enable us to see the inner structure of groups in response to a criteria. Sociograms enable groups to explore of their informal structure. Where there are a number of mutual positive relationships between group members, the work of the group is easily facilitated. When there are negative or non reciprocal relationships amongst group members, the work of the group grinds to a halt and the task becomes repairing and rebuilding relationships.

Sociometry

Enables us to identify and explore the informal networks in groups. By using physical space and the concept of distance to represent the nature of the socio-emotional relationships between people, the sociometrist enables the invisible, or perceived nature of the relationship to become visible. These networks of relationships can then be explored, and developed.

Group members impressions are confirmed,— there is an inner structure to the group's relationships. This information enables group's members to feel more united within themselves, and therefore they are more able to warm up to a breadth of roles within themselves. This process assists the group define itself and brings greater strength to group members' relationships, enabling them to be more productive.

The 3 Perceptual positions

Emerging from the work of Peter Senge, Jacob Moreno and others, this model enables us to see situations from a range of perspectives; self, through the eyes of others and thirdly from the objective and dispassionate perspective which takes an overview.

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