Aloha friends,
At our second session I shared my belief that each small group discussion needs to be guided by some shared norms of behavior or ground rules for how we are with one another. While every group should determine for themselves how to communicate and how to listen with respect, I did offer three suggestions.
Believe the Best: One of my favorite lines in the much beloved 1 Corinthians 13 chapter on love says, "Love believes all things." I think this little phrase says a lot. In it I hear a call to give the benefit of the doubt, to begin from a place of trust, and to assume good intentions. In the context of small group discussion, this can be talked about as making a distinction between intention and impact. In our small groups let's listen to one another believing the best of intentions in the speaker. As we listen, let us be cognizant that what someone intended to say is not necessarily the same as how we heard it, or the impact it had on us. Before we craft a respond based upon the impact of someone's words, let us first seek to understand their intentions. And let's begin that journey from a place of trust.
Tell Your Story: The lasting power of our sessions will likely come from the stories we share with one another in our small groups. Because of this, I encourage you to take a step of faith and trust the members of your group with some of your story. Conversely, reinforce the safety and sanctity of the small group discussion time by not telling the stories of others. Let the members of your group tell their own story. This speaks to confidentiality. It would be good for each group to discuss what expectations and assumptions they have around confidentiality. Yet, a good place to begin is with the guiding principle that you tell your story and you let others tell their own story.
Step Up / Step Back: Every group is a mixture of personalities and communication styles, introverts and extroverts. Every group can benefit from a bit of self moderation. If it seems as though you haven't shared your ideas or given your story then I encourage you to step up and add your voice to the mix. If you keep hearing your voice, you answer every question, or your a bit winded from all of the talking you've been doing then consider stepping back and making space for others. The facilitators of each group are their to help ensure that all are heard and/or valued. Yet each group member has a role to play in this to through self moderation.
Guidelines like this are what help us foster meaningful conversation. Here's the kind of scenario we're trying to avoid.
At our second session I shared my belief that each small group discussion needs to be guided by some shared norms of behavior or ground rules for how we are with one another. While every group should determine for themselves how to communicate and how to listen with respect, I did offer three suggestions.
Believe the Best: One of my favorite lines in the much beloved 1 Corinthians 13 chapter on love says, "Love believes all things." I think this little phrase says a lot. In it I hear a call to give the benefit of the doubt, to begin from a place of trust, and to assume good intentions. In the context of small group discussion, this can be talked about as making a distinction between intention and impact. In our small groups let's listen to one another believing the best of intentions in the speaker. As we listen, let us be cognizant that what someone intended to say is not necessarily the same as how we heard it, or the impact it had on us. Before we craft a respond based upon the impact of someone's words, let us first seek to understand their intentions. And let's begin that journey from a place of trust.
Tell Your Story: The lasting power of our sessions will likely come from the stories we share with one another in our small groups. Because of this, I encourage you to take a step of faith and trust the members of your group with some of your story. Conversely, reinforce the safety and sanctity of the small group discussion time by not telling the stories of others. Let the members of your group tell their own story. This speaks to confidentiality. It would be good for each group to discuss what expectations and assumptions they have around confidentiality. Yet, a good place to begin is with the guiding principle that you tell your story and you let others tell their own story.
Step Up / Step Back: Every group is a mixture of personalities and communication styles, introverts and extroverts. Every group can benefit from a bit of self moderation. If it seems as though you haven't shared your ideas or given your story then I encourage you to step up and add your voice to the mix. If you keep hearing your voice, you answer every question, or your a bit winded from all of the talking you've been doing then consider stepping back and making space for others. The facilitators of each group are their to help ensure that all are heard and/or valued. Yet each group member has a role to play in this to through self moderation.
Guidelines like this are what help us foster meaningful conversation. Here's the kind of scenario we're trying to avoid.
No comments:
Post a Comment