Group Format

Each meeting follows the same basic format. The groups generally last two hours including a 10 minute break. Groups can be run face to face or online.

Tuning in – shifting from busy work mode to reflective mode

At the beginning of every meeting each member will have the opportunity to briefly check in.

Looking Back – following up from previous meetings

Then the two people who shared material at the last meeting will be invited to update the group on developments since the previous meeting. This is to connect the meetings together and to provide a further opportunity for the group to reflect on the issues presented.

Working on dilemmas, issues and incidents

The main group activity is the sharing of dilemmas. In each meeting two people will have the opportunity to share a dilemma, incident or issue from their work. The sharing of dilemmas works as follows:

Generation – producing material for reflection from experience of practice

One participant will share a work dilemma, incident or issue for five minutes. This could be something current or from the past. Little vignettes or stories of incidents that have a bit of drama can work well. But any description of an issue which is puzzling, making you feel uncomfortable or feels challenging is suitable material. Sometimes participants share new opportunities or reflect on something that has gone well.

Clarifying questions

For another five minutes or so the group will ask clarifying questions. These should be factual questions to ensure that the group has as full an understanding as possible of the issue.

Free Response – Sharing feelings, spontaneous reactions and associations

If online the participant who shared the dilemma is asked to turn off their camera or if face to face to turn their chair to face away from the group. This is to enable the group to more freely reflect on the material shared. Then for ten minutes the group shares how the material has made them feel, whether any images come to mind, does what was shared remind members of a book or film or a fictional character. Associations can also include how the presenter shared the material, their tone of voice, how quickly or slowly they spoke and so on.

More Effortful Thinking – Stepping back to think about what is happening

Then the person who shared the material is invited to switch their camera back or to turn their chair back, so they are facing into the group. They are asked for their reflections on what they have heard. At this point the group is encouraged to try and make some sense of what has been shared and the associations. The aim is not to provide solutions but rather to develop a deeper understanding of what might be going on in a particular situation.

Turning Outwards – adapting ideas to the real-world situation

Finally, the group may discuss more concretely how what has taken place might affect the way they will approach the dilemma going forwards.¹

A note on the sharing of dilemmas

It can feel a little uncomfortable especially at first sharing a work dilemma in this way with colleagues. One thing to bear in mind that might make this easier is to think of it like sharing a dream. The group is interested in the dream not the dreamer. By offering an issue the participant is providing some material for the group to work on. In a group consisting of staff from the same organisation or similar job roles it is likely that there will be some common themes in the material shared. And the facilitator will encourage the group to understand issues at a group, organisational and systemic level rather than an individual one.

Finally

This format is a very well established way of facilitating reflective practice groups. The method appears to be quite simple, but it can be a surprisingly powerful tool to activate the creative and intuitive capacities of groups and individuals. Through reflective practice new approaches to problems which may have previously felt intractable can be found.