Community of Practice

During the last community of practice meeting that took place about a month ago, I realized that the support of people who are doing the same thing as I, albeit in different places, is really valuable. I have counted on their support and encouragement in many subtle ways, and am thankful for it.

One of the people there told me that the main thing to remember is that people will eventually start to feel the rhythm. Just watch where it goes, see where the group takes it.

Readings Review

Some updates on what I have been reading:

• Chemers, Oskamp, and Costanzo. Diversity in organizations . Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications, c1995.

A scholarly monograph, written for social scientists and organizational psychologists. One chapter on diversity in decision-makinig teams seemed interesting; the main points of the chapter were that it is known that diversity affects the work of teams, but in what way is still not fully known. The authors suggest that status is an issue, and that teams with diversity in status sometimes do not function as well--for example, if there are people of various socioeconomic backgrounds in one decision-making team. They suggest that it might be useful for team members to understand the dynamics of status and diversity explicitly; hopefully, factors like expertise promote a person's status, rather than race, gender, class, etc. The authors suggest that diversity training should work both ways: high status groups should understand the issues that low-status members face, and vice-versa. Training should "seek to change the behaviors of all parties involved". (p. 152)

• Dutton, Seaman, and Ulmer. Understanding group dynamics in adult education. Englewood: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

A basic text in the Prentice-Hall Adult Education Series about group dynamics, which explains some social scientific and psychological aspects of the formation, purposes, and maintenance of "groups" (they look at groups in general, and then groups in adult education in particular). The introductory section delineated three factors that have a profound effect on the group dynamics: cohesion, structure (such as formal or informal) and atmosphere (the tenor of the relationships and communication within the group). They also mention that groups need to have goals, and that people look to groups to fulfill certain needs (both psychological and social). A section on the principles of group dynamics, which they define as the complex of forces that act upon a group which cause it to behave the way it does, was interesting; the authors point out that members of a group may learn more about themselves or others in the process of being part of a group, but it may not change the behavior of the group. In other words, just because the change is not visible in the group's actions does not mean that some learning or change hasn't taken place among the members.

As to how this relates to group drumming, I particularly resonated with the fact that people may have a changed image of themselves or others by participating in a group. Group dynamics will certainly come into play--people may be resistant due to their thinking that they are not musically inclined. Overall, I think most people will "want" to be there. My hope is to design the experience in such a way that it might stretch people's images of what they can accomplish in a group setting, by building on the metaphor of the drum circle as a unity of individual voices.

Lenses: Looking at group processes through the Individual and the Group

My reading and research has suggested these two lenses (Individual and the group as a whole), and I am planning to get key information needed from my readings of Gardner's works on multiple intelligences, as well as French and Bell's work in OD to focus on the individual as a power in the group dynamic. Also, a key theme is diversity, and I have a book that covers diversity in organizations. Then, broadening to the group, I will focus on group processes, gleaning information from the French and Bell text, as well as Schwarz's Skilled Facilitator Manual. I may need to define terms, or otherwise ground what I am looking at in psychology and social science.

I would also like to get back to my original questions, to see where I am at with them. Also, needing to post to the blog for updates on readings, as well as thoughts about the last Community of Practice meeting on October 26th.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...

...in the words of the David Bowie song. There've been some changes in options for carrying out the HealthRhythms/teambuilding project.

Basically, I heard from my library contact at MSU Mankato that the professional development session I was pencilled in for has been taken off the agenda, due to the high number proposals that were accepted. Considering I'm not even employed at MSU anymore, it's understandable, but a disappointment nonetheless. The library contact is going to see if a smaller session could be done for just the library; I'll have to be in contact again with her about this.

However, the flip-side is that I am instead going to do some group empowerment drumming (and hoepfully just plain fun) for the library staff development day here at Southwest Minnesota State. They're looking for a way to relax and reflect at the end of a busy and challenging semester. I'm looking forward to it as my first "real" HealthRhythms session.

That's all for now by way of update.