T.S. Elliott

I thought I would take some time and write about something I know a lot about and have a lot experience doing: Working with Groups.

Of course I have worked with groups of people in a therapeutic setting before and I am going to compare this with the reasons I believe people use Social Media in much of the same way. They just are not consciously aware of the reasons groups appeal to them. Along with therapeutic groups and social networking groups (online and offline), people also form other types of groups like sports, religious, hobbies, clubs, and can be either intimate, formal, casual.

The list goes on and on- that could be another blog. I want to focus on why understanding Therapeutic groups can help you figure out what groups to join or start. This can be meaningful information for finding local groups, but for the purposes of this writing I am referring to online Social Networking Communities or Sites like Facebook, Ning, Twitter,MySpace and so on. This information is for individuals as well as business owners or PR professionals trying to use social networking sites to "advertise" or get "brand awareness".

So, please read this and do more research about any terms you are not familiar with...A closed group is one that has a designated membership that meets at a prearranged time and place. Online Social Networking Communities are the opposite of a closed group, but they still need to provide individuals with the same security that a closed group offers.

There are many types of Therapeutic groups, I will list only 10 that I have personally been a facilitator for, again the list is much longer than this one:

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse
• Grief and Loss
• Abuse Victims
• Runaway Teens
• Relaxation
• Dealing with Brain Injury
• Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
• AIDS Awareness
• Teen Pregnancy
• Anger Management

This is a very short list due to the fact that people can be "grouped" together in so many different ways and most people fit into several categories on any given time on any given day. So, just use that as a brief reference when thinking about a group coming together for a common goal.

If you have ever participated in a group, then you have your own frame of reference for determining why you joined such a group and what the experience was like. Being the leader of so many groups, I have to go back further to days in school to remember what it was like to be a member of a group.

Is there any value in group work? Of course, that is why so many Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Teachers, Speakers, The Military and Organizations use groups to get work done.

Self Discovery must be used if you want people to be in a group with you. Who are you, what is your business, who are your customers, what is your goal?

So, what can a business or individual gain by being in or forming a group? Whatever you want. It's not about your group, it is about you. You have to ask yourself questions and be honest.

1. Are you a leader or a member? If you have never been a leader, do you want to be? Could you lead a group effectively? Does your personal interest involve being around people or by yourself? The list goes on, but you get what I mean - don't start something or get involved with something that you will not be good at or even like once you have started.
2. In what way are you willing to serve a group? Groups are not about you, that is the point - even if you are the leader. If you only care about yourself and your own self interests, leave everyone else alone. I will have to write another blog about the problems with joining a group that you do not want to give value to.
3. Are there groups that could benefit you already open for you to join? Once you know how you can serve others, then figure out if there are already groups available that meet your needs or if you should create your own. Do your research. I recently worked with a client that wanted to invest their entire budget to create a website and online community that was identical to about 30 other sites that I found in the first hour of research. This means, the market was already flooded - so get a new group to create!!! Seriously, if you are going to make a group similar to another one online, at least make it unique in some way.
4. So, what kind of group do you want to organize? For your individual benefit and the benefit of your business - do not try to drag people away from the groups they already belong to. This is a very bad marketing ploy. I am not a traditional marketer and have never been trained as such, but serving a group has nothing to do with persuasion and deceit. Do your research and create the group you want in the beginning. Do not start a group, get members and then change everything as your mood changes. Define your membership qualifications and your group goals as well as expectations.
5. If you started a group, where would you start? If you want to start a social media group, then who will you invite? Do you have any connections or experience in the field you are concentrating on? This is very important. If you have no knowledge in an area and you want to start a group to gain knowledge, then you have to already know people to invite. You can not create something out of thin air and expect others to do all of the contributing. This isn't social networking and it certainly is not a functioning group. Your group will fail, (just like the thousands of others on the web) if the leader has nothing of value to offer and the members do not have a common bond.
6. Once you start a group, how will you keep it alive? "What you feed will grow-what you starve dies" (That is in quotes because it is one of my favorite quotes. I don't know where it came from, I just say it all the time). Are your colleagues or members as interested in your group as you are? Are you getting support from the participants? What sources and resources could you use to help your group members grow and have their needs met? Do you listen to questions, complaints, concerns of your members and make accommodations?
7. Finally, how would you determine if a group that you are leading or participating in is productive or nonproductive? Some people expect too much too soon. Some people never accept that something they have created has weakness. Decide before you join or start a group, what you think is a realistic measure of a groups success.