my PLP

I started my battle with my PLP, seems I made it so complicated :)
So I though let's make a first reflection on the blog and see what comes next.


Getting clear what I want to do!


Title of the PLP:

Influence as a trainer by what you say, do, are

Theme / topic:
Influences of group and trainer on the debriefing


Why I have choosen this theme is because I experienced with myself a lot of doubts when leading groups/individuals in reflections.

On one hand I completely agree with the fact that reflections are needed for a good learning process. On the other hand I doubt if it is always necessary as a trainer or mentor to give direction on this reflections.
Cause is this reflection meant for my own well-being or that of the group???
I know for myself it works to have reflections and even reflection while using one or another method that helps me to focus on the issues and topics.
So from this point of view I see also the group or the volunteer I am coaching.

But still I am not completely convinced what makes that I have the right to decide doing this?

An example:
We are on a training course with all kind of youth leaders. In the evening we have a reflection table using the swimming pool “where do I feel like swimming today in the pool?” and “how do I see others related to me in this pool?”
After a while I feel like participants don't get the point and feel like sharing all this, cause they don't bring a lot of input or just some funny/ superficial things.
Should I just leave it for a while and not doing a reflection evening? Then I get in conflict with myself, cause for me it is important to do to keep connected with the course, the objectives, the group, the learning process of individus.

Another example:
Last weekend we had a weekend with our youngsters. An adventure weekend to learn some new skills and repeat old ones about outdoors. Half of the group is already familiar with the methods we use within Nature, half of the group is there for te first time.
We have a great hike, I see them searching togehter, some standing aside. I walk with them and sometimes I give a little hint or I motivate them, cause I want them to have positive experience. Especially the ones being there for the first time. The next day we work with ropes and knots, making bridges, tree climbing,...Youngsters feel good to do new things and try out. In cooperating they still need a lot of pushes from us. I can see that the new ones are not really used in taking initiative and discuss together how to do things. And the others don't know really how to involve them and teach them what they know.
Anyhow, everybody feels good with the new experiences, being outside and the feeling they crossed their own limts in hights etc.
The evening everyone feels really tired. We still need to cook, what takes some time. One of the participants(co-leader) asks me if we will have reflection this evening. I almost wouldn't have done it, cause I felt like stretching the new ones a lot. They are not used to this. Anyhow we make a plan for refelction to keep it easy going, not to deep.
To start I feel I need to get over the point to feel secure enought that is right what the group needs. At the end of the reflection I was very happy with the result, cause people shared things (small things, big things) and I could feel connection with the group.
But still I am wondering if I didn't do it? Or do I feel it was good cause it fullfilled my need to know how the group feels???

Even though at that time I made myself the conclusion that I should do it the way I feel to do it and just by putting down something from myself the group has a chance to take it or not. I should focus on the group and there needs, but in a way that they don't influence my feeling (intuition) of what I want to bring in now.

In a resume:
Personal conflicts

making contact in open questions – space
Will I be able to give input? Will I be able to interact in the dicussion?

Am I allowed to influence the group/person in the direction I think to go?

Trainer issues

using methods:
giving direction, giving structure to the group, make sure everyone has a moment to say something,...

giving open questions – space
leave it more open to the group, maybe new things will come out
what if it is completley besides the objectives of the training?

One of the methods I use in my reflections and I found very usefull:
Active Reviewing – Using creative methods(see link on my blog)
And so now I will question myself WHY? ;)and on the other hand I will question myself on my personal issues, cause seems there is somehow interaction.
You can't be a trainer without your personality.
Your personality somehow give direction to you training style.

It works :)

It is great to see the blogs growing and everybody writing.
so it works. :)

Last week I finished my yeartraining of leadershipness here in Belgium. It was one year with 10 persons from different areas (coordinators, social workers, ITC, Banks,...) to develop our skills in leadershipness. Groupdynamic, system theories, rose of leary, commynication, leading meetings,... all in an experiential way.
In this year I learned something about groups.
A group is growing as far every individu wants to grow. I got confrontated with the different levels of investment in the group. Some were more proces related, others more task-related.Somewhere half of the middle more then half of the group had the feeling it has been enough. I don't need to be here anymore in the group. Also I had that feeling. It was the first time I found out this. And at the end even one participant didn't take part in the final evaluation. This felt strange, cause I had the feeling we could not really close the group, the process of the year.
In this year I questioned myself also a lot in what do I invest in the group. I felt a bit an outstander, cause I was not coordinating a team like them, I was a trainer for different groups. I hated role plays, playing meetings, but I loved the active grouptasks. In my job i felt fine everything was going good and about my personal life I didn't feel like it was the place to share things. At the end I did, cause it was interfearing with my presence and I realized people liked it cause they could get closer to me. But still I have this question of how much of your personal life you throw in. I did this before without any borders or limits and it got a bit a mess. Now I am searching a way to balance it.
Out of the training I took for myself the learning point:
Myself as a tool for giving trainings. At the moment I can invent 101 methods to do things and share thigs,but when I have nothing I feel so naked with the group. So I realize if I want to use myself as tool I will also have to go in the bow of personality and mix it up with my being as a trainer....
It looks like a big challenge to deal with...
That is why I choose this personal learning project on Influences trainer - Group. I still have to start on it how to get it in a structure :)