Eight Arms: Developing the craft of working with groups

What’s your experience of that bit before a group session starts… either as a participant, or the one running the group? As a participant, sometimes it can be a little awkward. As the facilitator, sometimes it can feel like you need 8 arms to make sure things run smoothly!I love to hear from people. You can reach me here: [email protected] this episode, I share something I’ve done for years: a “While you wait…” slide, question or activity that’s ready for people as they arrive. I also share the slightly odd moment I opened a course I’d been asked to deliver and found an almost carbon copy of my own slide. That’s what sent me digging into why it works.We look at the pre-testing effect, Sophie Leroy’s “attention residue” (a phrase I love), and what theme park queues can teach us about waiting. That includes why it matters for people who arrive early to feel settled and then aren’t quite sure what to do with themselves. I also talk about what people’s responses to the slide can tell you about a group you’ve never met.Whether you’re a trainer, facilitator, coach or anyone who runs meetings or workshops, there are four practical things to take away. Keep it easy, relevant and inclusive. Give people a way to land. Still say hello, rather than hiding behind the slide. And come back to it, which is the one most of us forget (my answer is bright neon Post-its). There are also a few extras for online sessions, including the chat waterfall.One thing to try before your next session: make your own while you wait slide, with one question on the topic, one to help people arrive, and a note to yourself about when you’ll come back to it. Then notice what changes. And how you feel about doing it. If you hate it… I want to know that too!🎧 Want more? Listen to my conversations with Jo Lott, Becky Hawke and Amy Du Quesne🎙️ Want to go deeper into the human stories behind group work? Listen to my other podcast, The Human Side of Facilitation, on Apple | Spotify | Substack🤝 Want support with your own group work? Get in touch and we can arrange a chat.💬 How do you help people arrive in your groups? Have you got a favourite question? I’d also love your thoughts on the podcast itself, from topics to style to music. You can reach me here: [email protected] or connect with me on Substack or LinkedIn. You can find out more about my work at https://www.tom-cleary.co.uk/groupcraft This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groupcraft.substack.com

A quick Toolbox episode to take into your next session: four practical steps for staying steady when something throws you mid-session.If you want the psychology behind why these work, listen to the Deep Dive on wobble moments, the episode before this one (link below).The four steps:* Notice it, and name it to yourself: “Okay, this is a wobble.”* Buy yourself some breathing space: a slow breath out, feet into the floor/grip the desk, and a rehearsed go-to phrase.* Get curious, and try a different frame: swap the panicky story for a question.* Try something small, and see what happens: an experiment, not a test.Afterwards, ask yourself: What threw me? What did I do? What might I try next time?One thing to try before your next session: choose your go-to phrase and practise it out loud a few times.🤿 Go deeper: How to stay steady when something throws you. Listen to the Deep Dive episode on Apple | Spotify | Substack 🎧 For longer conversations about the human stories behind group work, listen to my other podcast, The Human Side of Facilitation on Apple | Spotify | Substack💬 What helps you in a wobble moment? I’d love to hear. You can reach me here: [email protected] or connect with me on Substack, LinkedIn . You can find out more about my work at https://www.tom-cleary.co.uk/groupcraft This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groupcraft.substack.com

Something throws you mid-session: your mind goes blank, the energy drops, or someone challenges you out of nowhere. In this Deep Dive, we explore what’s really going on in those wobble moments, and four practical ways to stay steady.In this episode:* Why wobbles happen to experienced people too, not just beginners* Donald Schön’s idea of moving from the “high ground” into the “swampy lowlands”* Why your mind goes blank under pressure, even on material you know well* The “second layer” we add on top of a wobble, and why it makes things harderFour things that help:* Notice it, and name it to yourself* Buy yourself some breathing space, with your body and a go-to phrase* Get curious, and try a different frame* Try something small, and see what happensOne thing to try before your next session: choose your go-to phrase and practise it out loud a few times.🧰 Want the quick version? The Toolbox episode, Four quick steps for when something throws you, is here: Apple | Spotify | Substack🎧 Want to go deeper? Listen to Embrace or Escape the Swamp? on my other podcast, The Human Side of Facilitation, on Apple | Spotify | Substack💬 What helps you in a wobble moment? I’d love to hear. You can reach me here: [email protected] or connect with me on Substack or LinkedIn . You can find out more about my work at https://www.tom-cleary.co.uk/groupcraft This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groupcraft.substack.com

Welcome to Eight Arms: practical episodes on developing the craft of working with groups.In this short trailer, I share what the podcast is, who it’s for (trainers, facilitators, coaches, team leaders and anyone who runs group sessions), and why an octopus.If you work with groups and care about doing it well, and staying well, you’re in the right place.🎧 For longer conversations about the human stories behind group work, listen to my other podcast, The Human Side of Facilitation, on Apple | Spotify | Substack💬 Is there something you’d love an episode on? Get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here: [email protected] or connect with me on Substack or LinkedIn . You can find out more about my work at https://www.tom-cleary.co.uk/groupcraft This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groupcraft.substack.com