Groupwork Skills

Techniques and Strategies to help you manage a group

Julie Cooper

Spring Developmentwww.springdevelopment.net

The Groupwork Toolkit

£14.99

20% off at the checkout using the code ‘Unimenta’ at Spring Publishingwww.springpublishing.co.uk

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 required2. Have practised describing their relevant competencies in a mock interview3. Feel more confident in their ability to do well in a job interview

Time Activities / Content Delivery Method

Equipment Materials

9.30 Introductions + DomesticsGround Rules & IssuesProgramme for morning

Present to whole group - invite participa-tion

Flip ChartPowerpt and Projector

BookletsP-point Slides 1-5

9.40 Ice breaker – Intro: What do you expect or fear from interviews?

Pair work, report back to whole gp

Flip chart pens

9.55 What employers are looking forHow interviews are structured and assessed

Present to whole groupwith questions

Projector P-pointSlides 6-9

10.00 Competency based interviews(1) Analyse a Vacancyand (2)give evidence - "STAR stories"

(1) Small groups then report back (2) whole group

Flip Chart Example of a vacancy - 1 eachSlide 10STAR chart – 1 each Slide 11

The Session Plan

CV Workshop for Employees facing Redundancy 3 hoursAims•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,

9.45am flipchart responses, PowerPoint slides 7-12

10.10am Profile ExerciseInput – importance of the ‘headline’ etc, look at exampleprofiles 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 HistoryEg on PowerPoint. Pulling out relevant key achievements, responsibilities,

duties etc

11.15am Example CV’sShow examples, look at critically. What impression do they create? (30

seconds is average looking time)Different styles – skills based, functional etcClean layout, use of vocab etcQuestions 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 confidentDo 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.

julie@springdevelopment.net

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