Discussion 01: Introduction to Group Support
Before we dive into the Group Leadership & Development aspects, it is important to know what 7Cups Group Support.
As per Merriam Webster Dictionary, Group is a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. While group dynamics are the attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of a group. It is focused on how groups form, their structure and process, and how they operate. More specifically, why and how groups develop.
This is what you will notice in the 7 Cups Group Support. 7Cups started with providing support 1-1s. But as we grew up, we realized that 1-1s are not enough. There is a need for group interaction as well. To meet the community's needs and demands, we added group support. We created and used chat rooms to structure a safe environment to facilitate group support. We have dedicated chat rooms for both listeners and members to provide support as per their needs.
Currently, we have more than 150+ chat rooms to serve different purposes and needs of both members and listeners community for both adults and teens. Amazing! Right?
We are a vast community and we recognize our diversified members and their needs and demands. And, these chat rooms became safe spaces to connect, interact, engage, learn, share, and grow collectively. These rooms are not only used for support reasons but also to brainstorm and problem solves, celebrate small and big achievements, and gain a sense of belonging to this community.
Moving forward, we identified the needs of moderating these rooms, so we introduced the chat room moderator role, figured out we need facilitators to lead different sessions in the chat rooms, so added Support Session Leader and On-spot Host as the recent addition to it. We figured out the safety issues in the chat rooms, and we badge locked the rooms. So as we learned more about the needs and demands, we kept iterating and evolving group support for better experiences and support for everyone. We are on a journey to build the best group support. And, we will continue to progress …
Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Activity: Respond to at least two of your fellow trainees' comments with thoughts on their share.
After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next discussion here! Ensure to implement the learning from these discussions in the chat rooms to build and support the group. You must take part in the brainstorming/activities given in all of these discussions to successfully complete the program.
@ASilentObserver
~highs~
- I started feeling happier seeing the group of people and seeing everyone support others!
- At first I thought I felt I wasn't doing a great job at hosting a session because I had been on break for long and the mods and member made me feel like I did a good job at the end!!
- everyone says kind things to other!
~lows~
- sometimes when you host a session members don't follow guidelines and you know you cant do much but give a friendly reminder and it does become irritating sometimes.
- when I joined a group support chat and a member shared a semi triggering topic for others and a member said that the member that was sharing needs to find another room to share in.
- sometimes new member that are not aware of the chatroom guidelines may not know and they share at a time that isn't there time to share
@hopefulbutterfly00
It makes me happy too to see so much unity in the chatrooms. The camaraderie is truly amazing. ❤️
@ASilentObserver
Highs:
I loved interacting in the rooms and making friends with people! Especially one of my friends, Pals :)
The group discussions are amazing — definitely a high getting to talk about your opinions in a group setting.
My first few sessions as a host. It felt so good to support people!
Lows:
When I was new to 7 Cups, it was tough adjusting to the chat rooms as some people weren’t as welcoming.
When I encountered someone saying that they had to take a self-care break because a member insulted them countless times.
A conflict between two members.
@usefulSummer3139 I really get what you are coming from summer! I agree with all the highs you said, and particularly with conflict; It can honestly be tough trying to defuse two conflicts without coming across as siding or mean to the other :)
@usefulSummer3139
Agreed Summer, well said 💚
@ASilentObserver
3 Highs:
It was amazing seeing people from different backgrounds come together and support one another in the support chatroom.No one is being left out; Everyone's concerns are being equally addressed.
There are no playing favorites. Everyone, old and new, is equally welcomed and that's great to see :)
3 LowsIt can be tough trying to address everyone when the chat is moving too fast.
There are certain moments when I can't find the right word and response to a certain message.
It can be quite tough trying to resolve a conflict in the right manner
Highs
- I love hosting. I love having game and trivia nights weekly with all of my favorite people and new friends.
- Writing scripts and seeing other people running them is a crazy good feeling.
- From a member standpoint, the room leaders are so fantastic about keeping everything safe and welcoming.
Lows
- I've had difficult experiences leading support sessions due to disagreements.
- There have been times it's very difficult to get mods when needed.
- From the member side, it can be easy to feel ignored at times when the rooms are busy.
@ASilentObserver
Highs:
1: lots of friends
2: the mods are always there if needed
3: the fun ice-breakers
Lows:
1: being ignored sometimes
2: not so supportive comments
3: not many people active.
@babydino69
I am sad to hear that you experienced an unsupportive environment🥺 It is tough when we do not get the response we need. In this program, we are learning what you can do in such situations and how to maintain a room welcoming and supportive💖 You also are welcome to connect if you would like to discuss some particular situations in chatrooms.
GLDD mentors: Richuyulin, blissfulForest7074, 29Amy, HealingFox210, AriadneLove, CaringHeart123
@ASilentObserver
3 HIGHS:
1. Talking in the room and feeling welcomed and supported. Being able to find the correct balance between supporting others, being productive and having fun.
2. Getting and giving support as and when needed.
3. Participating in the discussions getting respect knowing self and being a part of the community
3 LOWS
1. Members fighting increasing anxiety problems arguments and overall negativity.
2. Forgetting you are in control and Feeling overwhelmed from fast paced rooms and not realizing I could stop and take a break whenever I needed it
3. Sessions that had low participation and rooms that were consistently empty were disheartening and that when you needed the maximum support.
@ASilentObserver
Highs:
1) It was very nice to have a light-hearted chat in between serious topics.
2) Very nice to meet new people and to share different views/opinions.
3) It is very educational
Lows:
1) A lot of empty rooms.
2) You need to be engaged all the time as sometimes it goes super fast and I can't keep up.
3) Some members can be very ill mannered and they ruin the vibe.
@niens
GLDD mentors: Richuyulin, blissfulForest7074 , 29Amy , HealingFox210 , AriadneLove, CaringHeart123
@niens
Thanks for your shares, Niens! The rooms can be very fast, I agree. I often get overwhelmed but it's always good to see such engagement.
@ASilentObserver
3 highs and lows of the support rooms
3 Highs:
-The people there were friendly and kind, and they were also very supportive.
-They were helpful when there were a few times where I couldn't figure out how to word something to say to a member.
-Everyone was respectful when I talked and chimed in politely if they had ideas or tips when I was struggling.
3 Lows:
-Sometimes when I went in, there were few people in the room and no one responded to my message.
-I spelled words wrong by accident(cause I'm a terrible typer sometimes), and people pointed it out in a way that made me feel upset.
-If I go into support rooms, I miss messages from members that I should be responding to, and when I decide I'm done on 7 Cups for a bit, I see that I have all these member messages to respond to.
@Kpopcat2020
@Kpopcat2020
I am very glad to hear that people in group chatrooms were helpful and supportive, I can relate to all of your 3 highs!:)
As for lows, I am very sorry to hear that someone did not respond, unfortunately, it happens, and that is why in this program we can learn how to keep rooms inclusive and friendly to everyone. You are definitely right to name criticising spelling as the low moment, first of all, I am horrible at spelling myself🥺 so when I see that typed something wrong, I already feel embarrassed, and seeing someone pointing it out, is not a comfortable feeling. We have also a lot of non-native speakers in Cups, being understanding of challenges somone could face with a foreign language is important.<3 Here you will learn how to answer critiques in the room and remind them about Cups policy (inclusivity and respect) in an ethical and respectful way.
In regard to answering pms it can be tough with the feeling of guilt, it is important to keep in mind, that you are a volonteer and you should practice self-care and rest too. It might be helpful to establish healthy boundaries with members. Telling in your profile when you will answer (like once a week) or that you are taking a break from having 1-1 will help manage the expectations of members about your response time. If you would like to explore my ideas on how to manage chats, please connect with the mentor 💜 https://www.7cups.com/listener/listenerMentors.php
GLDD mentors: Richuyulin, blissfulForest7074 , 29Amy , HealingFox210 , AriadneLove, CaringHeart123
for me? The three highs in the group support chatroom are every one gets their fair share of time to chat, people seem to always invite you and I like to hear about others story’s. Three lows are sometimes There are people who aren’t really nice and can say some heartless things, sometimes the chat rooms can get a little chaotic, and for me I’m a very slow typer so sometimes when I’m trying to typing I get cut off from someone else.
@calmPlace4453
Hi there! I really enjoyed reading your post. Everything you've mentioned here, I totally agreed with everything that you've said here.
@ASilentObserver
Highs:
1. Love the discussions and sharing spaces
2. The sense of community and support
3. Having some really fun jokes or appreciative comments that are unexpected
Lows:
1. The support room can have so many overlapping conversations that are hard to follow
2. Some members are very demanding of my time or attention when I am trying to talk to everyone
3. Rooms coming and going all the time can be tough to track
@LilyBlossom21
I agree with everything you've said here, Lily! Especially with the sense of community and support, as well as the jokes and comments people may say.
You make a good point when you said how some members can be very demanding. It's true, hence why it's vital to take time for self-care if needed.