Member Functions and Possible Problems The major task facing members during the fi nal stage of a group is consolidating their learning and transfer-
Stage 6: Postgroup Issues—Evaluation and Follow-Up
Just as the formation of a group and the leader’s preparatory activities greatly affect the group’s progress through its various stages, the work of the leader once the group has come to an end is also highly important. The last session of the group is not a signal that the leader’s job is fi nished, for there are im- portant considerations after termination. Two issues are dynamically related to the successful completion of a group’s development: evaluation and follow-up.
Part of effective practice entails developing strategies to ensure continuing assessment and designing follow-up procedures for a group. To aid this work, consider the following questions: What is the group leader’s responsibility in evaluating the outcomes of a group? How can the leader help members evalu- ate the effectiveness of their group experience? What kind of follow-up should be provided after the termination of a group? What are the ethical consider- ations in evaluating a group and arranging for follow-up procedures?
EVALUATING THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES OF A GROUP
Evaluation is a basic aspect of any group experience, and it can benefi t both members and the leader. Ethical practice requires a realistic assessment of the learning that has occurred. Evaluation is not a procedure to use only at the termination of a group. It should be an ongoing process throughout the life of
LATER STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP
115 a group—or at least at important turning points in the group—that tracks the
progress of individual members and the group as a whole.
In many agencies, group counselors are required to use objective measures as a means of demonstrating the effectiveness of a group. Standardized in- struments can assess individual changes in attitudes and values. Some type of rating scale can also be devised to give the leader a good sense of how each member experienced and evaluated the group. Such practical evaluation in- struments can help members make a personal assessment of the group and can also help the leader know what interventions were more, or less, helpful.
A willingness to build evaluation into the structure of the group is bound to result in improving the design of future groups, and it increases the leader’s professional credibility and accountability.
Writing done by members about the group experience is a very useful ba- sis for subjectively evaluating the meaning of a group experience. Generally, I ask people before they enter a group to put down in writing what their con- cerns are and what they expect from the group. I strongly encourage mem- bers to keep an ongoing journal of their experiences in the group and in their everyday lives between sessions. This writing process helps participants focus on relevant trends and on the key things they are discovering about them- selves and others through group interaction. Journal writing gives participants a chance to recall signifi cant occurrences in the group and helps them identify what specifi cally they liked most and least about the group. The writing pro- cess is a useful tool for self-evaluation and is in itself therapeutic.
Finally, I often ask members to fi ll out a brief questionnaire or survey when we come together for the postgroup meeting. This procedure can also be used at various points throughout the group. Members are asked to evaluate the techniques used, the group leader, the impact of the group on them, and the degree to which they think they have changed because of their participation in the group. These questions are designed to get information on key matters:
• Did the group have any negative effects on you?
• How has the group infl uenced you in relation to others?
• Have your changes been lasting so far? Is so, how?
The questionnaire is a good way to get members focused before the ex- change of reactions that occurs in the follow-up session. It also provides useful data for evaluating the group. If the group was coled, it is important that the coleaders make time to meet to discuss what they can learn from the members’
evaluations and to make revisions and plans for future groups.
THE FOLLOW-UP GROUP SESSION
It is wise at the fi nal session of a group to decide on a time for a follow-up session to discuss the group experience and put it in perspective. This session is valuable not only because it offers the group leader an opportunity to as- sess the outcomes of the group but also because it gives members the chance to gain a more realistic picture of the impact the group has had on them and their peers.
At the follow-up session members can discuss the efforts they have made since termination of the group to implement their learning in the real world.
They can report on the diffi culties they have encountered, share the joys and
116
CHAPTER FIVE
successes they have experienced in life, and recall some of the things that oc- curred in the group. A follow-up session also provides people with the oppor- tunity to express and work through any afterthoughts or feelings connected with the group experience. At this time the mutual giving of feedback and support is extremely valuable. It is also a good time to assist members in lo- cating specifi c referral resources for further growth once the group ends. All members can be encouraged to fi nd some avenues of continued support and challenge so that the ending of the group can mark the beginning of a new search for self-understanding.
The element of accountability that a follow-up session encourages maximizes the chances of long-lasting benefi ts from the group experience. Many people have reported that simply knowing that they would be coming together as a group one or more months after the group’s termination and that they would be giving a self-report provided the stimulus they needed to stick with their commitments. Finally, the follow-up session offers leaders another opportunity to remind participants that they are responsible for what they become, and that if they hope to change their situation they must take active steps to do so.
INDIVIDUAL FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS
In addition to the group follow-up session, I endorse the idea of leaders arranging for a one-to-one follow-up session with each member, if it is prac- tical. If you administered any pretests to assess beliefs, values, attitudes, and levels of personal adjustment before the group sessions began, it is a good idea to administer some of these same instruments during one of the fi nal ses- sions for comparison purposes. When you meet with members on an individ- ual basis at the follow-up session to review how well they have accomplished their personal goals, these assessment devices can be of value in discussing specifi c changes in attitudes and behaviors.
These individual interviews after the termination of a group, which may last only 20 minutes, help the leader determine the degree to which members have accomplished their goals. Members may reveal reactions in the individual ses- sion that they would not share with the entire group. Also, this one-to-one contact tells the participants that the leader is concerned and does care. The individual interview provides an ideal opportunity to discuss referral sources and the possible need for further professional involvement—matters that are probably best handled individually. Although it is ideal to conduct individual follow-up sessions, this may not be practical in some settings.
Concluding Comments
I have mentioned more than once that the stages in the life of a group do not generally fl ow neatly and predictably in the order described in these two chapters. In actuality there is considerable overlap between stages, and once a group moves to an advanced stage of development there may be temporary regressions to earlier developmental stages.
However, knowledge of the major tasks that commonly confront partici- pants and the leader during the different stages of the group’s evolution en- ables you to intervene at the right time and with a clear purpose. Having a clear grasp of typical stages of group development gives you a conceptual map
LATER STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP
117 from which to operate. Knowledge of the group’s critical turning points en-
ables you to assist the members in mobilizing their resources to successfully meet the demands facing them as their group progresses. Knowledge of the typical pattern of groups gives you an overall perspective that enables you to determine which interventions might be more useful at a particular time. Also, this perspective allows you to predict and prepare for certain crises in the life of the group and to manage them more effectively.
Chapter 18 describes an actual group as it progresses from the initial through