caOLeadership is about proaiding focus, direction and.docx

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"Leadership is about proaiding focus, direction and inspiration
in a group. Lead.ers enable a group t0 imagrne and create a
future
which will fulfll the group purpose... An efectiue lead.er giaes
power to (empower) olher group members."
- Hmter, et aI.
The Zen of Gtoups (1995)
M u l t i p i e C h a l l e n g e s f c r G r c u p L e a d e r s
The success of dialogue groups depends to a large extent on the
effectiveness
of the leaders. "Indeed, the leader's ability to estabiish solid
relationships with
otlers in the goup is probably the most important tool he or she
has in facilitating
group process. As a group leader, you bring your personal
qualities, values, and
Iife experiences to every group." (Corey & Corey,.l997, p. 61)
Many experts in tle
gloup process have emphasized the important role a group

leader plays in the
group process. It is very important that dialogue group leaders
are chosen based
oq desirable personal qualities and characteristics suitable for
this work' In
addition to personal qualities, diaiogue group leaders must also
possess certain
knowledge and skills in facilitating and managing the group
process.
"Knowledge
and skills are critically important to being epable. The group
worker needs to know
about people and groups and must be able to employ a range of
group work skills in
helping to promote goal accomplishment and help-giving.
" (Conyne er a1., 1997,
p. 8) Hence, the group leaders must be provided with group
facilitation skill devel-
opment training. We begin this discussion by considering some
of the challenges
taced by group ieaders.
Huang Nissen, S. (1999). Being an effective group leader'
In Dialogue groups: A
'*;"";;;;i;nidi

tofacilitate diversitv conversation (pp' 37
- 48)' Blue Hill'
Vtuio", Medicine Bear Publishing'
D , t . A L O G U E G R o U F . S . : . : . r
Our experience has shown that dialogue about clifferent
perspectives often
touches upon individual beliefs, vaiues, and life experiences. In
the seH-exploration
process, participants often evoke intense emotions. To
summarize a list of challenges
faced by the group worker, Conyne et al. enumerates what they
call
"Baker's Dozen"
below (note: a bakpr's dozen is normally thought of as 13 ):
1.
2.
q
4.
o .
7.
8.

How to know your limits.
How to prepare for a group
What is our pu.rpose
Coping with data overioad and tast-paced action
How to view a group
How to manage a group
How to manage conflict
How to }crow ald be yourself
9. IIow to utrderstand tle uniqueness of members
10. How to connect members
n. How to influence change within Lhe group
12. How to fit pmctice with science
'
13. How to resolve dilemmas and value choices
"To practiee group work is to confront ambiguity antl
coinplexity.. . The bcker s
dozm is to anticlote to the humaa condition, of course. Nor
would we want that,
for access to our humanity is at the core of effective group
work' (Conyae, et al.,

1997, pp.5G57) The challenges for ttre.group worker and ttre
strategies to meet
them described by Conyne, Wilson, and Ward refer mainly to
counseling and
psycho-therapy groups. Howwer, some of these challenges
occasionally have been
orperienced by dialogu.e group ieaders in the four pilot
programs as well. For tlose
group leaders wishing to deepen their licrowiedge and skills, we
recommeqd that
tley conduct an indepth study of the work by Conyne et ai.
The following three secions focus on tle responsibilities of goup
leaders and
the skills and personal qualities they need for effective
leadership.
Group leader(s) responsibilities
T ^ r , ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ r ^ ( - ^ { ^ "
r u ^ E r r p l . J E J p r t r J o r E
To keep organization safe
To keep people focused on learning about
diversity issues
To explore own assumptions and beliefs
regarding differences

? To confront and challenge seif and others
I To keep playing field equal
f To manage the process (not the people)
f To participate in dialogue
f . To handle logistics of holding meetings
t To assign homework
G r o u p L e a d e r F e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s
In Leading Core Groups (1986), Barbara Walker described
several responsi-
bilities for core group leaders. The following secti6l highlights
two major ones from
her book plus the additional responsibilities we have developed
for the dialogue
group leaders in all four pilot DG programs:
1, Keeping people safe: " Keeping people safe
" was a term used during tle eariy
stage of the core group work at Dlgital. Walker believed tlat to
make the dialogue
group worh its members must feel safe. To feel safe is to lcrow
tlat oue can stpress
oneself with honesty and integrity without judgnent and
recrimination by others.

Diaiogue group leaders must do everything tiey can to make it
safe for the partici-
pants because open and face to face dialogue about differences
often threaten our
beliefs and values.
" Each. . . group member perceives the emotional risks tlat
come
with honest seif-disclosure. Changing the status quo, and most
certainly our own,
can be emotionalllr threatening." ( p. tS )
"{hen the tmth is told, we are face to ibce
with pain- either theirs, ours or both. At moments like these
most.of us feel unsafe,
and vr:lnerable to one another." (p. i4) The Group Leader's
ability to role-model
+
?
+
the qualities of stretching, growing and even changing can be an
iinportant factor
in establishing a climate for frank and open sharing.
2. Keeping people targeted on the issues: It is easy for members
of a dialogue

'
gloup to go into abstract discussions or tum to
"shop talk." The group leader's task
is to keep the discussions targeted on issues o{ diversity,
particularly as ttrose issues
personally impact us and our working relationships.
g. Keeping the orgi.rization safe: We mean here the
organization (company,
agency, etc.) that employs the members of the ilialogue group.
One way to keep the
organizarion safe is to insure ihat the dialogue group meetings
are not a forum to
address personal issues (not group therapy, for example). Nor
should dialogue
'
group meetilgs be opportunities to
"bash" people in the organization, or to criticize
management practice and policies. These issues need to be
addressed ttrrough the
appropdate channels of the organization.
4. Teaching and modeling tJre dialogue principles: It is
recommended that
'
dialogue group leaders make tle effort to study the dialogue

principles first then
embody these principies. There may be times when tle group
leaders need to do
some teaching to their group members about dialogue principles
and process.
Having a solid grounding in dialogue principles would enable
the dia-Iogue
group leaders to model tlem appropriately. A fuller description
of principles of
dialogue.is given in Chapter 2.
5. Assip.ing homework: The purpose of giving homework
assignments is to
help people get in touch with themselves and each other. Group
leaders can
assign related reading material to gloup participants td review
and com.ment oD at
the group sessions, or ask participants to maintain personal
journais to record
thoughts, feelings, and insights. They can also ask participants
to share videotapes
and report back to the group.
One of the methods to stimulate reflection is to give homework
questions for

the group members to ponder between meetings. Below is a list
of pertinent
questions for the parricipants to reflect on and share with the
group often used in
dialogue groups in four pilot programs:
B . E I N G A . N E F F E C T I V E
. How did your parents behave toward those who were
'differed
from them?
. When was the first time you met someone
"different" from you?
What was that experience like? Positive or legative?
. When was the first time you were treated as someone
"different" ?
What was tle impact on you? How do you view
" difference " now?
. Who was powerful in your family when you were growing up?
. What messages did you receive about power?
. How do you view'power" now?
6. Ot'her responsibilities: Other miscellaneous responsibilities
of group leaders

are both participalory and administrative in nature. The list
below is a sample of
what they may include:
. work witl goup to develop a process for dialogue
. Help tle group adhere to the process
. Participate in dialogue
. Manage the logistics for group meetings
. Work with individuals outside the group meeting on qncific
issues
T,vpicai Grcup Lead€rs Concerns
Since dialogue groups are designed for participants to meet on a
regular basis
to learn about differences, both the group leaders and the
participants joiu groups
on a voluntary basis. After the introduction to dialogue group
workshop, partici-
pants are invited to sign up either to become group ieaders or
group participants.
Frequently, people hesitate to offer themselves to be group
leatlers clue to a lack
of confidence in their ability to facilitate the dialogue process'
Table 5-1 shows

typical first-time group leader concerns'
these concerns are quite legitimate and normal, for effective
group leaders are
not bom but they can be developed. The experiences of the
dialogue groups in four
organizations show that many successful and effective group
leaders never had any
prior training on group tacilitation skills. We found that they
did possess a common
ingredient - the heart at the nght place-that motivated them to
learn, to develop
useful skills, and to be constantly self-aware. In other words,
tlese group leaders
i ,
Typical First-time
Group Leader Goncerns
AIU I A SKILLED GROUP FACILITATOR|
. How can I energize the grouo? e+
d
. Can I manage group interaction?
$

r Can I get them to observe group norms?
.. Can I keep the dominant/talkative participant quiet?
. Can I get the quiet ones to speak up?
r Can I manage competition or conflicts among participants?
AM I AN EFFECTWE GROUP LE,ADER?
. Can I get lull cooperation from my co'leader? Group members?
r Am I a good listener? Am I observant enough?
. Can I always be objective?
. How can I deal with my own emotions?
o Can I be undefensive if a participant openly challenges me?
. Can I model the behavior I want the group to emulate?
4A
E7
{ . ,
Table 5-1
displayed the kind of personal characteristics that inspired
others in the dialogue
groups to respect and follow ttreir model.
The following sections describe a list of desirable skills and
personal qualities

that can help group leaders become effective and successfirl-
Like principles of
dialogue and optimal conditions and skills f61 nsaningitl
dialogue that are devel-
oped over time by the diaiogue participants, the skills anil
qualities for dialogue
groups can also be developed.
S k i i i s N e e d e d b y G r c u P I a a c e r s
Effective group leader skills are among the most important
determinants of
group outcomes. In their book entitled, Groups: Process and
Practice, Corey &
Corey (5th edition, 1997) describe the following basic skills
necessary to become
competent group leaders: (Included also is a part on confronting
extracted from
Leading Core Groups by Barbara Walker' 1986.)
t . F a c i l i t a t i n g : T h i s i s p e r h a p s t h e m o s t i m p
o r t a n t s k i l l f o r g r o u p l e a d e r s t o
possess, for it is essential if dialogue groups are to function in a
productive way'
Group leaders facilitate the dialogue process by (r) involving as

many members as
possible in the group interaction, (2) assisting members to
openly express their fears
and expectations, (3) providing encouragement and support as
members erpiore
highly personal maierial, (4) encouragilg open expression of
conflict and controvesy'
and (5) helping members overcome barriers to direct
communication'
2. Active listening: This rneans more than merely listening to
t}re words'
""' it
involves absorbing the content, noting gestures and subtle
changes in voice or
expression, and sensing underlying messages." (Corey and
Corey' 1992, p' 20) The
skilled group leader will note the congruence (or lack ofit)
between what members
are saying in words and what they are communicating through
body postures,
gestures, mannerisms, and voice inflections.
3. Clarifying, and reflecting: Clarifying involves focusing on
key underiying
issues and- sorting out confusing and conflicting feelhgs or

opinions' To reflect a
comment is to restate it.
'Reflecting is the ability to convey the essence of what a
person has communicated so the person can see it." (Ibid', p' 21)
Group leaders can
also choose to question statements made by some group
members if the question-
ing would lead to increased learning and understanding by the
participants. However,
the style of questioning must iot resemble interrogation, which
seldom leads to
productive outcomes. Questioning ean also help individuals
reduce the intensity
of feelings.
'1. Empathizing and supporting: .{n empathetic group leader can
sense the
subjective world of the group participants by identifuing with
the experiences of
others. However. it is important tbr the group leaders not to
over identify with
( " :
speeific group participants, which can easily create a dangerous

us-versus-them
situation,
" The core of the skill of empathy lies in being able to openly
grasp another's
experiencing and at the same time maintain one's separateness."
(Ibid., p. 23)
Appropriate support can be given when participants feel
uncertain about changing
old patterns of tlinking and behaving.
5. Confrontlng, blocking, and questioning: At times it is
necessary for group
leaders to conftont group members whose behavior (1) disrupts
the group func-
tioning or (2) indicates discrepancies betvveen verbal messages
and nonverbal
messages. In such cases, the group leaders must confront
specific behavior. Group
leaders may also need to block certain counterproductive
behavior by members
such as gossiping, invading another person's privary, and
breaking confidences.
Group leaders must be prepared to ask hard questions, to
confront and cha.llenge
themselves as well as the participants to get at assumptions and

stereotypes' The
gtoup leader may have to ask the same question over and over
again in different
ways to help another person gain self-insight. CWalker, 1986)
f . $rrrnn61i2iag: This skill is particularly usefr:l at the end of a
session, when the
group leader may ask each participant to ma1<e a statemetrt
about his or her er<pe-
rience in the group. Where necessary, tle group leader can rxe
this skill to help
members who have difficulty in summarizing their experience.
This aciivity can
potentially clarify any unfinished business-such as unresolved
feelings and
conflicts-to prevent individuals from storing up negative
feeiings and thoughts
about the group experience.
Personal characteristics
of an effective grouP leader
+?
?
+
?

P
,f
+
Self-awareness
Courage
Willingness to model
Goodwill a!.*c3lin
Nondefensiveness
Openness
Presence
Beliei in grouP Process
Willingness to seek
experiences
S93,s;i.9{.!u-qror
lnventiveness
Fersonal..power
Source: GtouPs: by M, S, Corey
& G, Corey,
K e y P e r s o n a l Q u a l i t i e s J i G i ' : u D i - e a c e r
s
In addition to possessing the necessary skills in managhg
groups' it is highly
desirable for group ieaders to embody certain personal qualities
ancl characteristics
to bring about successful learning experiences for the group
participants'

(Chapter 3,
"Power of the Group," describes the stages of group
development, and
other reiated subjects.) Flere are some examples of desirable
personal qualities for
group leaders.
L Belief in the group process - To lead effectiyely, leaders must
believe in the
value of what they are doing and trust the forces in a group'
Corey and Corey state
in tlreir book, Groups: Process and Practice (1987) that
""' a deep belief in the
v a i u e o f g r o u p p r o c e s s i s p o s i t i v e l y r e l a t e d
t o c o n s t r u c t i v e o u t c o m e s ' , ' D i a l o g u e
group leaders cannot be effective if they have doubts about the
value of dialogue
Sroups.
2, Role models - Group leaders must be authentic role models to
demonstrate
ttre kind of learning attitude and honest self-examination so
necessary in dialogue
groups.'Ihey must be emotionally and intellectually present.
They must b€ serious

learners. They must model the desirable behaviors of openness,
risk-taking, and
vulnerability. When group participaats see the degtee of risk-
taking their leaders
demonstrate, they are more likely to be encouraged to follow
the example. Roie
modeling is also included in an earlier section on group leader
responsibilities'
3. Self-awareness and self-acceptance - The group leader's own
comfort in
the dialogue group sihration is an important factor. The leader
who is clearly aware
of his or her own identity, motivations, and values is thereby a
more effective leader.
Since our values are a fundamental part of the kind of person
we are, group leaders
inevitably bring their values into t}re group process through
subtle or direct ways
to influence the people in the groups (Corey & Corey, 1987 ).
When group leaders
can accept tleir own strengths and limitations, they are more
able to empor'Yer
themselves and accept others without judgrnent and evaluation,
to be non defensive

in deating with disagreements, and to be less likely to pass
blarne to others.
Barbara Wa]ker (1986) also emphasizes
'authenticity a.nd self-acceptance" as
an important quality for core group leadem at Digita-l. She
states:
"Core gloup leaders must be authentic,. that is, able to share
their
owD stories honestly and truthfirily. The key to one's
willingness to be
honest is self-acceptance - an ability to accept, not only the
parts of our-
selves we see as
'good,' but our own impulses towards stereotlping otlers
as well." (p. 10)
4. Goodwill and caring- Group leaders must demonstrate a
siDcere interest in
the welfare of otlers by not abusing their role, not using the
group mainly for their
own pur1roses, atrd not oploiting members to enhance tleir own
ego. CariEg meatrs
respecting and valuing people. This quality is especially rglwant
in diversity diaiogue

groups where every participant is treated as a valued member of
the group.
5. Non defensiveness - Being open to share one's world view
entails being open
to accept different perspectives and opinions as well. It is
necessary {or group leaders
to model a non defensive behavior in dealing with criticism or
differences of
- .,,, .-":,;i{{ard!i:
opinions. They must possess sufEcient inner security and
personal power so as not
to be threatened by negative feedback nor overly depeudent on
group approval.
6. Sense ofhumor and ability to defuse conflict - A sense
ofhunor and ttre
abiiity to defuse interpersonal tension can help group leaders
greatly in effective
management of dialogue groups. As the participants move
beyond the superficial
level of sharing and leaming, the group dialogue can likely
invoke deep emotions
such as hurt and. anger. Members can potentially project their
feelings on the

leaders or other pariicipa-nts. The ability to laugh at oneself
and to see ttre humor in
human frai.lties can be e:rtremeb useful in defusing
interpersonal tensions in group
dialogues. The other desirabie qualities, such as
"openness," presence, personal
power and wiilingness to see new experiences, are self-
explanatory.
H e i p i n g D i a l c g u e G r c u p s
Move through Deveioprnentai Stages
In the previous chapter, Chapter 4, we discussed the predictable
four stages in
the tife of a group -forming, storming, norming and perfonning.
As the goups
move from one stage to alottrer, what can the group leaders do
to faciiitate the growth
and development of their groups? Manning, Curtis & McMillen
(1996) tn Building
Communitg : The Human Side of Wotk (pp . 3oo-3o2 ) suggests
the foilowing :
1. Forming Stage: Group leaders can help reduce anxiety by
" l).explaining ttre
purpose and goals, 2) providing time for questions, 3) allowing
time for members

to get to kaow each otber, and 4) modeling expected behaviors."
2. Stor:ming Stage: Group leaders can reduce couflict by
" 1) listening to all points
of view, 2) acknowiedging conflict as opportunity for
improvement, 3) adhering to
core values, such as truth, trust, atrd respect, and 4) maintaining
democratic and
hurna ni,qtic ideals.
"
3. Norming Stage: Group
"leaders can encouraBe norm development by
1) modeiing listening skills, 2) fostering an atmosphere of trust,
3) teaching and
facilitating consensus, and 4) providing team-centered
learning""
4. Performing Stage: Group " leaders can help the group
succeed by t) being
prepared for temporary setbacks, z) focusing on task
accomplishments and
interpersonal support, 3) providing feedback on the work of the
group, and 4)
promoting and representing the group."
Co-leadership - Benefits
Y

+
f
Shared responsibilities
Demonstrate the value of diversity
Two role models ior group participants
Two sets of knowledge, skills and perspectives
One leader taking charge when the other leader
loses objectivity
Shared perceptions regarding group functioning
Greater number of options and resources for the group
When one leader is absent, lhe olher can hold
group meetrng
C o - l e a C e r s h i c
Research shows there are a number of benefits to co-leadership
in group practice
(Corey & Corey, 1987; Jacobs et a1., 1994). When intense
emotions are being
expressed by one or more members, one leader can pay attention
to ttrese group
members while the other leader can scan the room to obsewe t}e
reactions of other
members, who can later be invited to share their feelings and
thoughts. The group
participants can gain from the Mo points of view offered by

their leaders, and the
co-leaders can learn from each ottter. Another advantage of co-
leadership is to
prevent Ieader burnout. Co-leadership also insures that
scheduled group meetings
still take place when and if one of the'leaders is absent due io
illness or business
travel. Other co-leading advantages involve peer t'eedback
(between the leaders)
and the possibility of interaction modeiing by the leaders for
group participants.
. D / 1 1 1 ! ( r A N L ! t r :
' . . i r r : . . :
The disadvantages and problems of co_leading arise when the
two leaders have
mqior differences in attitude, style and goals. These problems of
co-leadership can
become quite acute when two leaders each want to control and
play tle dominaut
role, wheu they openiy dislike each other, or when they view
group_leading in totally
different ways.
The co-leadership model was used for most dialogue groups in
the four pilot
prognuns we instituted. We learqed that having co_leaders
representing two or
three dimensions of diversity further demonstrated. how slnerry
could be created
by differences. working through their differences as leaders
became another way
for everyone else in the group to learn.

Co-leadership - Chailenges
When ditferent attitudes and styles clash
when co-leaders work at cross-purposes
When co-leaders compete for power and control
+ Pre-session agreement on how to support one another
f After-session honest yet non-judgement feedback
A word of caution about co-leadership. The co-leaders cannot
be assigned by
someone else; individual group leaders must choose their ovin
parherc for them_
selves. We recommend that interested individuals arrauge for
exploratory meetings
and engage in open and frank discussions regarding facilitation
styles and preferred
ways of giving and receiving feedback. AJso, co-leaders need to
discuss how each
exp€cts to be supported by the other in the management of
djalogue groups, and how
they will resolve contlicts if and when conflicts develop during
group sesslons.
+
I
f
. . 6 2 l J l A L U 9 u ! , u ^ u ! , w
S u m m a r r r
This ehapter has described the challenges and the rewards

ofbeing a dialogue
group leader. It has also gone into extensive discussion
regarding the responsi_
bilities, and the optimal skills and personal qualities needed to
become effective
group leaders. Like any developmental programs, it is important
to polnt out that
beginning dialogue group leaders cannot be expected to possess
all the skills and
qualities enumerated in ihis chapter. Only through extensive
expenence can group
leaders master the multiple skills to manage all types of groups.
Our experience with
four pilot dialogue group programs demonstrated that some of
&e most effective
group leaders were those who possess a high degree of personal
maturity and
integrity and a sincere desire to learn. Since djalogue groups are
intended. as leam_
ing laboratories, group leaders and participants alike can use
this forum to leam and
grow toget}ler.
The past several chapters describe the rationale and motivation
to establish
dialogue groups for participants to learn about diversity issues,
the principies of
dialogue, the power of groups, and tle responsibilities of all the
people i.nvolved in
this educational process.
In the next secfion, we will discuss the necessary steps (the
mechanics) involved
to implement a pilot dialogue group program in any
organization.

"To
be human is to take joy in mmning. It is to realize harmamq,
ffinity and commonality, and to reexpress that reaLization. lt is
.
to respect the dynamics of relationships, and to ctaify them. It
is
to delight in the unique nature of each indiaidual person,
famity,
culture,... and to erpress thdt delight- It is to honor and, reoere
the
unknown, to ratere lift in its pl.urality of oneness, and. its
onmess
to plurality."
- Robert Ai&en, Roshi.
What Does It Mean To Be Human?

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