Leading Libraries Series: Leading for Resilience

 

Social resilience

 

Assessing group resilience

Over your life – at work and outside – you will have had many experiences of being part of a group – some more enjoyable and rewarding than others, no doubt.

In the video for this module, we described the ideas of Bert Hellinger – a family therapist who extended his work into wider groups using a practice called 'Constellations'.

Here's a reminder of his 'Four Characteristics' of a well functioning social system.

 

This exercise is designed to help you compare the 'emotional health' two different groups of teams that you have been part of over the last few years.

By comparing your experiences, you can reflect on the aspects that make the biggest difference to you when you are part of a group. You can also begin to recognise some of the factors you might need to pay attention to, if you are the leader of a team or an initiative.

 

Pause for reflection: Using the 'Four Characteristics' to reflect on your experience in groups

Consider two groups that you have been part of over the last few years – one that felt 'healthy' and one that was less healthy (for you or for others). In the more healthy group, you would have a sense of 'thriving' – in the less healthy group, it might have been more like 'just surviving'.

For each group answer the questions below

 

Belonging

How would you rate the sense of 'Belonging' in the group – for yourself and for all the other members?

What actions or conversations supported the sense of Belonging?

Place

Were you clear about your 'Place' in the group?

Did people understand their roles (formal or informal)?

How were roles discussed or negotiated?

Fair exchange

Was there as sense of 'Fair exchange' in the group?

Did you feel that your contributions to the group were valued?

What did you receive from the group in return? How were individual contributions recognised?

Loyalties

Were everyone's 'Loyalties' respected?

Did people take your experience, professional base or cultural influences seriously?

Was that true for everyone in the group?

 

What one important thing could the 'less healthy' group have learned from the more healthy group?

 

Continue to: Helping groups function well