The Group as an Ecosystem

(Everything has it's niche)

The participants that we work with in groups are living organisms. No big surprise, or Earth shattering information there. They are capable of growth, change, production, and consumption. As a group of organisms existing within their niche, doing their job, they are part of an ecosystem. A dynamic and ever changing system that is seeking a balance that may not exist since the group is an open system and outside influences may exert influence on the ecosystem. If the group is an ecosystem, our course, program area, or facility, is the biome or even the bioregion where this ecosystem is currently existing. The group's home office, school, or community is the "natural" biome or bioregion where the ecosystem is usually found.

When the group comes to our program or we bring one to them, we are exerting an influence on the group. A change in the ecosystem has occurred, and the ecosystem will react. As facilitators we observe this reaction in the group process from our initial introduction to a closing statement. The group ecosystem is learning to adapt to this new influence. As each individual reacts to the new stimuli which is us the facilitator, the other members of the ecosystem will also react. It is in these reactions that we facilitate our program and challenge the group. 

As you facilitate your group, look for people playing different roles, or trying to fill their niche. Who are the producers in the group? Are there any primary consumers? Who is the top consumer of energy? Who are the decomposers and scavengers that are busy working on taking the group's "waste" and transforming it into useful nutrients? Is the ecosystem relying on you to be the decomposer? Is the waste being recycled or are there signs of bioaccumulation? 

Is there "biodiversity" in the group? And is the group striving for biodiversity or are they working to create a monoculture? Is there someone who is the Sun, and providing all the energy for the group? As your group progresses through your program, are they creating positive or negative feedback loops? Do you know the difference in ecological terms? And how could you use that knowledge?

There are some factors that we as facilitators can have control over. Is the biome your program creates the correct one for your group ecosystem? Or are you having your tropical ecosystem try and thrive in a temperate forest biome? What can you change so that your program is providing what the ecosystem needs to thrive and become stronger? What can you introduce into the ecosystem to help it develop and find optimal growth? Are there invasive plants or organisms that you see need to be removed from the ecosystem? 

I encourage you to take a look at your programming to see how healthy is the biome you provide for your group ecosystems that visit. And as you facilitate a group, notice what "environmental" or "ecological" factors are present or absent from your process. What can you change as an environmental architect? I always welcome comments on this ongoing exploration of the Ropes of Ecology. 

As always, you can leave a comment here or email me at:

asinglefootstep@gmail.com

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What roots are you fostering?

What a Tangled Web We Weave!

(A St. Andrews Cross Spider-Argiope mangal)

The Spider Web initiative is one of my favorite activities. I love the planning and attention to detail needed to complete the challenge, and I love the engaged physicality of the activity. It can engage people on many levels and provides a wide range of challenges for participants. And there is some actual risk involved with lifting people through the web, which means there has to be a level of group readiness present in order to attempt this initiative.
In addition, I love the metaphor of the web. Lots of attachments, strands to get caught on, the spiders waiting for prey to get caught in the web, and the intricate weavings needed to build a web. Webs are also created from the spider directly. Other than the anchor points, the structure comes from the spider itself, not unlike the situations we create in our lives. We are often the creator of our own webs. With this rich palate available to a facilitator, there are numerous ways a facilitator can weave their own metaphors around the image of a web. But that is for another posting.

The Traditional Initiative:
The traditional Spider Web is built between two vertical objects, usually trees for a stationary web. Here is a simple drawing of a portable web using pvc pipes for the vertical poles.

The main object of the Spider Web is for the group to get from one side to the other by going through the web. Not around, over, or under, but through the web. Depending on the facilitator, touching the web might result in a penalty such as blindfolding the person who touched, making the part of the body that touched the web unusable, or sending the person or the whole group back to beginning side. Some programs put bells on the webbing strands to alert the participants when they have touched the webbing.
There are also some guidelines on how people should go through the webbing. In general, if both of a person's feet come of the ground, then they must be in constant contact with at least two other people until their feet are back on the ground. This prevents people from jumping or diving through the web. There is debate on how the person needs to go through the web. Some people say that the person needs to go through head first facing the ground. This enables the person to use their hands to catch themselves if the group drops them. Other's say the person should go through feet first with either the face down or up so that the person can get their feet on the ground first. I have used all of these variations. Also the way they go through may be dependent on the material used to build the web. The only issue I have with face down, regardless of head first or not, is that in lifting and passing the person when they are face down can allow people's hands to come into contact with personal parts of the body of the person being passed easier than if the person is going through face up. Just a thought.
So there are the basics, and here are some variations:
Variation 1:
If your group is not ready or able to pass and lift people through the web, provide them with a length of climbing rope, maybe 75-100' in length. Then the challenge is that the group needs to pass the rope through each of the openings in the web without the rope or them touching the webbing strands. You can still provide consequences for the rope or people touching the web.
Variation 2:
Again, if your group is not ready to pass or lift people through the web, provide them with a collection of objects-beach balls, boards, large stuffed animals, etc. Then the group has to pass the objects through the web without touching the web.
Variation 3:
Use a multi-sided web. I find that 3 or 4 sided webs work really well. It really doesn't matter if the separate webs are the same or not. The real challenge comes from the fact that as more and more people get in to the middle of the webs, space becomes tight for the participants.
Variation 4:
In this variation, you are attaching things to the web before the activity. For an environmental focus you can attach cards that have portions of the food web or the water cycle on the web. Then you provide participants with cards that either match the cards on the web, or are examples of the term listed on the web cards. Then the participants have to go through the appropriate opening in the web. You could also attach cards that have terms written by the group, or provided by you, that pertain to their group process or culture. Then, as the people prepare to go through the web, they state how the term on the cards can help the group or is a hinderance to the group.

Just a few thoughts on Spider Web variations. If you do more inside programs, explore a variety of ways to build an indoor or portable Spider Web. Enjoy!

As always, feel free to leave a comment here or email me at:

asinglefootstep@gmail.com

Feel free to explore A Single Footstep's website.

www.asinglefootstep.com

 Website to explore:

A Facebook page from Michael Cardus. Michael provides great pieces on teambuilding on this page. Check it out. 

http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuildingWNY