Leadership in Social Group Work

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Leadership in Social Group Work

• Lita D. Allen
• Lecturer, SW28A SW28B
• Theory and Practice of Social Work I II
• Module Social Group Work (Semester I, 2006/2007)
• Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social
  Work
• The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

2
Leader vs Leadership

• Leader
• An individual holding a position of authority
• Designated leader
• Indigenous or emergent leader
• T R, p. 92

3
Leader vs Leadership

• Leadership
• Leadership is any action that helps a group of
  people complete its task or maintain effective
  working relationships among its members
• See also T. R. p. 92
• Leadership is not a position, it is a choice.
• 
  S. Covey, 2005.

4
Power bases of leadershipR²ELIC²

• Reference
• Reward
• Expert
• Legitimate
• Information
• Coercive
• Connection
• T. R. p. 94

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Implications for the practice of social group work

• Check motives and intentions before exercising
  power base
• Utilise power on behalf of client(s), not for own
  self-interest
• Be willing to
• - share power
• - give away power
• - help clients develop their own power bases
• - ensure that, in turn, client uses his/her
  power bases for good

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Leadership and Power

• Actual power - p. 94
• Attributed power p. 23
• How should we use our power in the group?
• How do we share our power?

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Some leadership Issues

• How to
• challenge the status quo
• inspire a clear, mutual vision
• empower members through cooperative teamwork
• lead by example (as a role model)
• encourage the heart of members

8
Leadership Styles and Levels of Participation in
Decision-Making

• High
  Authoritarian / Autocratic
• Medium
  Democratic
• 
  
• Low
  Laissez-faire
• Low
  Medium High
• Toseland Rivas, P. 95 Participation by
  Members

Participation by Leaders
9

• One method / style of leadership is not
  effective in all situations. Leadership skills
  and intervention strategies should vary depending
  on the degree to which the group as a whole and
  its individual members can function autonomously
• Toseland
  Rivas, p. 97

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An Interactional Model of Group Leadership
Group Leadership
Purpose of Group
Type of Problem

• The Environment
• Physical setting
• Agency or Organization
• Social systems and the social environment

• The Group
• as a whole
• 1. Size and
• physical
• arrangements
• 2. Time limit
• Stages of group development
• Group dynamics
• 5. Group process

The Group Members 1. Members
characteristics a. interpersonal skills
b. information c. motivation d.
expectations 2. Extent of participation a.
working time b. decision-making c.
reactions/ responses

• The Group Leader
• Power base
• Skill level
• Personality
• Service technology

Toseland Rivas, p. 99
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Group leadership skills

• Group leadership skills are behaviours and
  activities that help the group achieve its
  purpose and accomplish its task and help members
  to achieve their personal goals. Both workers and
  members use group leadership skills
• Toseland and
  Rivas, p. 105

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What is a skill?

• A skill is a specific action or intervention
• that accomplishes a purpose and is based
• on knowledge and understanding. Skills are
• more than techniques alone. Skills involve
• action that are purposeful and informed.
• Kurland
  Salmon, 1999

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Three categories of group leadership skills

• 1. Facilitating Group Process
• 2. Data gathering and Assessment
• 3. Action
• Toseland and
  Rivas, 106-118

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Three categories of group leadership skills

• Facilitating group process
• Involving (reaching out to) group members
• Attending behaviours
• Expressing self thoughts, feelings, experience
• Responding pro-actively and appropriately
• Focusing group communication
• Making group processes explicit
• Clarifying content
• Guiding group interaction

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Three categories of group leadership skills

• 2. Data gathering and assessment
• Identifying and describing thoughts, feelings and
  behaviours
• Requesting information questioning probing
• Summarizing and partializing information
• Synthesizing thoughts, feelings and actions
• Analyzing information

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Three categories of group leadership skills

• 3. Action skills
• Supporting
• Reframing and redefining
• Linking members communication
• Directing
• Giving advice, suggestions or instructions
• Providing resources
• Modelling, role-playing, rehearsing, and coaching
• Resolving conflicts

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Importance of learning group leadership skills
vs casework skills

• Complex reflection on real life interactions
• Able to face challenges of diversity, differences
  and member conflicts
• Group-in-environment focus has many fascinating
  interacting dynamics
• Multitasking is a required ability

18
Importance of learning group leadership skills
vs casework skills

• Complexity of group dynamics enables greater
  choices in terms of levels of group interactions
  and the variety of interventions to be
  implemented.
• Greater possibility for co-leadership / shared
  leadership
• Increases ability to train and utilize group
  members to provide the necessary therapeutic
  support and mutual aid for each other

19
Leadership Comfort Scale

• Indicate your feelings on a scale of 1 5 when
  the following situations arise in a group.
• 1
  3 5
• Uncomfortable
  Very
  
• 
  Comfortable

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Leadership Comfort Scale

• Dealing with silence
• Dealing with negative feelings from members
• Having little structure in a group
• Dealing with ambiguity of purpose
• Having to self-disclose your feelings to the group

21
Leadership Comfort Scale

• Experiencing high self-disclosure among members
• Dealing with conflict in the group
• Having your leadership authority questioned
• Being evaluated by group members
• Allowing members to take responsibility for the
  group

22
Leadership BehaviourThe Key to an Effective
Discussion

• Read article online by Dan Saddler
• Reflect on information under the following
  headings
• - Planning stage
• - Beginning stage
• - Social modelling
• - Selective reinforcement to meet affirmation
  needs
• with individuals
• with the group as a whole
• - Structuring the group