Section C (C5) - Group Management

Question 1

things to know about a group before a trip

Answer 1

• Ability/experience
• Allergies, medical conditions, injuries
• Intrapersonal/interpersonal matters (eg. supportive, connected group vs divided can affect the level of risk)
• Personal goals, hopes and intentions

Question 2

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 2

theorises that human needs are set in a specific order, and some cannot be achieved unless the needs below it are met.

1. Physiological needs - food, water, sleep, warmth, breathing, shelter
2. Safety and security - health, employment, property, family
3. Love and belonging - friendship, family, community
4. Self-esteem - confidence, respect, uniqueness, achievement
5. Self-actualisation - purpose, acceptance, morality, creativity

Question 3

Give examples of how each stage of Maslow’s can be met.

Answer 3

Physiological needs
- Gear list for group and individual (wet weather gear, warm clothing, tents etc)
- Monitoring weather and understanding how it will impact people/the activity
- Allowing proper time for rests, sufficient sleep
- Meal times and snack breaks

Safety and security
- Communication, being authentic around risks
- Being qualified (eg. CPR, wilderness first aid)
- Evacuation plan, risk assessment
- First aid kit
- Leader is open, approachable and their manner is good (people feel safe around the leader)

Love and belonging
- Curate a culture of togetherness
- Encouraging everyone to make meals + travel together
- Having regular check ins with groups
- Understand individual needs
- Games, getting to know each other
- Inclusion of isolated people

Self-esteem
- Encouragement to step outside comfort zones
- Be supportive, validate feelings if someone has a problem
- Delegate people tasks/jobs

Self-actualisation
- Allow students to grow through providing opportunities for creativity and problem solving
- Taking an abdicratic approach, to prompt learning
- Connection to something bigger than themselves - nature/spirituality

Question 4

Tuckman Model (stages of group formation)

Answer 4

Forming
- A group of individuals
- First impressions
- Getting acquainted with each other
- Exchanging surface-level information

Storming
- No shared vision, clashing of opinions
- Frustration and conflict between members
- Formation of sub-teams/alliances

Norming
- Communication increases
- No more competition for leadership
- Issues are confronted and addressed
- A focus on objective

Performing
- Solely focused on the objective
- Shared consciousness
- Constant communication
- Open to constructive criticism
- Problem-solving with creativity
- Mutual respect for team members

Adjourning
- Changed from the journey
- Reflect and celebrate
- Say goodbye

Question 5

Describe how a leader can help a group move through each of the 5 stages of Tuckman’s model.

Answer 5

Forming
- facilitate group bonding (games, guided activities, etc)
- set expectations of group, including personal goals

Storming
- facilitate conflict management, encourage members to work through issues
- opportunities for group team building and collaboration

Norming
- acknowledge and reinforce positive behaviours
- empower group members to contribute and lead

Performing
- take a more abdicratic approach
- create group independence, provide support only when needed

Adjourning
- suggest reflective debriefing activities as a group circle (gratitude, trip highlights, etc)
- time for individual reflection (journalling, isolation etc)

Question 6

types of conflict management (5)

Answer 6

• Avoidance (ignoring the problem, not engaging, not doing anything to solve it)
• Competition (assertiveness: defending your standpoint as correct, others are wrong)
• Accommodation (giving up your standpoint for others’ sakes)
• Compromise (finding a way to accept and give each person some of what they want)
• Collaboration (how can the problem be solved through creative teamwork?)

Question 7

Discuss and analyse the pros and cons of AVOIDANCE vs COLLABORATION.

Answer 7

AVOIDANCE
- avoidance of the problem, ignoring it

Pros
- a temporary solution in a situation where there are major risks and hazards with a time pressure
- E.g During low COLT favourability
- inappropriate in the moment to address the problem, better to leave it to later

Cons
- generally ineffective
- leaves unresolved negative emotions within group
- complete lack of communication

COLLABORATION
- working together to form creative solution meeting needs/goals of all involved

Pros
- most ideal resolution, creates a win-win scenario, all benefit
- promotes critical thinking, problem solving,
- enhances teamwork, develops group relationship

Cons
- high amount of skill is needed to facilitate
- Group unity must be high, willing to adapt and work with one another
- time consuming, not suited to emergency

Question 8

COMMUNICATION
- Describe effective communication techniques (3)

Answer 8

Formation of a full value contract
- a shared emotional contract between leaders and group members
- ensures everyone receives what they need
- What is expected of how the group and individuals will operate, and how will this be achieved?

Two-way
- sending and receiving messages
- providing feedback
- active engagement

Removing the accusatory tone
- ‘You’ = blaming for the problem
- ‘I’ = I feel this way, allows for acknowledging feelings without accusing

Question 9

channels of communication (4)

Answer 9

• Verbal – briefings, discussions, commands
• Auditory – whistle, environmental sounds as a cue, horn
• Tactile – (person to person): handshake, pat on the back, using ropes (2 tugs)
• Visual – body language, visual signals (river signals)

Question 10

COMMUNICATION
- Describe the barriers to communication (4)

Answer 10

• Semantic noise (words that don’t make sense to the listener, including technical wording, context and ambiguity)
• Internal noise (personal conflict, mental health, distraction, stress)
• External noise (wind, rain, fog, etc)
• Overload (information, speaking too fast, sensory, environmental)