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
3 Highs:
One high I experienced in the group support chatrooms was all the support I received from all the members/listeners within the chatroom while I was sharing my story. It really helped me feel like I was part of a bigger community.
Another high I experienced was being a listener sharing circle host. I really enjoy hosting the sharing circles every week.
Thirdly, during shares I enjoy reading out other people's messages and reading about their experiences as well. I like to learn more about other people and their lives.
3 Lows:
One low I experienced in group support chatrooms was that sometimes there isn't that much engagement within the chats and chatrooms can get very quiet sometimes.
Another low I experienced was when sometimes members may talk over each other during a share, or when someone tries to direct the spotlight on them even when it's not their turn to share.
Finally, when a new member joins the chatroom and interrupts another member who's already sharing in order to ask a question.
@kindFish9215
It is incredible to see the Sharing Circle play out - I agree! Everyone is so supportive to one another.
@kindFish9215
The sharing circles really can be so nice to do. It's such a supportive space.
It can be difficult with people coming and going all the time.
Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Highs:
1) For someone who is introverted and socially anxious, I found it very helpful and refreshing to be able to walk into a chat room, introduce myself and receive a warm welcome. Not only that, but everyone is in the same boat - struggling with something or the other and that made the chat rooms relatable.
2) When hosting a discussion, it has been an immense pleasure to see everyone enjoying the content you present. Learn from one another and discuss.
3) I love to see everyone engaging with one another, supporting one another and overall just enjoying each others' presence in the rooms.
Lows:
1) Every time I try to host and there isn't a lot of reception, it feels a bit empty and you end up feeling a bit demotivated.
2) Rooms are often fast! By the time I find the moment to respond to someone, there are new messages that I can't keep up with!
3) When there is a conflict, I wish people would sort it out smoothly and patiently instead of it turning into a heated argument about something that may not matter.
@FrenchToastClub
It's really nice to hear how these discussions are helping you when you have some social anxiety and introversion. Leadership training often helps us to develop good social skills which is a bonus!
I can see how it is demotivating when a room is quiet but remind yourself that it just might be a slow day or hour. Even the best teachers/lecturers/speakers have people not pay attention, not attend or disrupt a session. I was told by my sociology professor that rainfall patterns were more predictive of lecture attendance than quality of the lectures!
@FrenchToastClub
Good point about conflict. I think we all need to learn to not easily get into arguments. We cannot always happy with what others said, and vice versa. So, I would say if something someone said really bothers us, just use 'the mute button'. The mute button exists for a reason. The chat rooms are there for supportive purposes or light hearted chats, but heated arguments muddled the support rooms.
Highs
My first high would be hosting TOZ discussions. I love when we can come together as a group to connect and learn about a topic. When everyone is engaged and providing thoughtful answers, responses, and questions, you step away from the conversation with something to think about and have learned something new. It's a small step to bringing awareness, understanding, open-mindedness, empathy, and acceptance toward mental health.
My second would be hosting and participating in listener pop-up sessions. The room energy is always high, and everyone comes together to take a break from life and listening, where we enjoy time with some of the best people you will ever meet. It's something that will brighten my day and have me smiling.
My third high would be hanging out in the rooms and having casual chats. It is nice meeting new people and hearing their stories. It's encouraging to see when everyone supports someone and shows their love, kindness, and compassion, and how that can make someone's day a little better.
Lows
My first low would be that sometimes when the chats are active, it can be hard to follow the conversation and be very overwhelming. As I have recently aged up, the speed and activeness of those rooms have been a challenge and adjustment on how to offer support. With English and typing being personal struggles, keeping up with a fast-paced chat can feel impossible.
My second low would be when not everyone feels included. It is discouraging to enter a room, where people are cliquey and are not warm and welcoming to everyone. As a newbie, joining a conversation and finding your spot when everyone is close can be tricky. So I think it's important to be inclusive and that everyone's heard and welcomed.
My final low is the group rooms' lack of participation, especially when hosting a session. It can make you feel discouraged, even though there are many reasons for this, but it's still hard when you are excited for a discussion or for a room to be open and there is nobody there.
@ASilentObserver
Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Highs
1) the amazing support and knowledge
2)Feeling that you are not alone
3) The community coming together to support
Lows
1) Sometimes it can be slow
2) triggering stuff
3) sometimes members only come in for trolling.
@magicalOcean594
I am in complete agreement with you about the group support being a place where we can feel like we belong 🧡
Having trolls is always irritating and can really throw things off track especially if other people then start discussing them. It just prolongs the interruption.
🦊
@gentleFox20
thank you <3
@magicalOcean594
True , Ocean. For whatever reason, maybe boredom or something else, some just trolled, sometimes in a subtle way that we did not even realize that it caused disruption to the room.
@ASilentObserver
Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Highs
1. The overwhelming support, care, encouragement, and love from members, moderators, and room supporters.
2. How everyone is just so dedicated to helping, whether it's a newbie or a member who's been with 7Cups for a long time <3
3. Each time you come back and meet the people who frequent the space, you feel closer in the sense that you are bonded by the 7Cups experience in ways that cannot be replicated and that is powerful.
Lows
1. Sometimes, especially in the member group chat rooms, tensions and emotions are almost always running high. While I know that's the goal, to provide another venue for members to open up, it's hard to keep others respectful, open-minded, and calm.
2. There are days when it shows many participants but zero interactions (although this could be a technical concern more than anything).
3. The time limit is understandable, but I've encountered sessions where 7 minutes is not enough and the one who was sharing got cut off in the middle of her story. And then after that, was told "thank you for sharing, etc." I felt that time we didn't help the sharer, although again, I understand the time limit. I just wish there was a way to continue that conversation with a Listener moving forward.
@CosmicMiracle
I love how you've described cups in your 'highs' section! I feel that way about it too and I'm grateful that you put it so eloquently.
It can definitely feel a bit mean to cut a share at the time limit. They can always join the queue again although I know if it's busy it might take a while and it still interrupts the flow.
🦊
Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Highs
1) Being welcomed and feeling like a part of a team!
2) Learning from other listeners
3) Seeing members support one another and find validation
Lows
1) Conversation moving too fast for me to keep up (mostly member chatrooms)
2) When a conversation is already going on and you feel awkward because no-one invites you into it
3) When a sharing circle is waiting for someone to start sharing but they don't reply and then come back a few minutes later and are annoyed at having to join the queue again.
🦊
@ASilentObserver Okay, so this is my first discussion from the GLDD Academy program and it is uber interesting to have this space to just be able to recollect my experiences in the group.
The highs would definitely include: 1) Finding wonderful fellow listeners in the Listener Support Room and many more wonderful members in the other rooms and being able to converse with them: finding out about their experiences and how they learnt from it is always a learning experience for all of us!
2) Knowing that people indeed remember me and are super welcoming most of the times in the support rooms. Initially I felt that I might not be remembered in the chatrooms when I join in or that I wouldn't be able to tune into an ongoing discussion however these were just initial hiccups.
3) The discussions cover so many topics and it's always a wonderful experience to come in and join a discussion or to start a new one. The check-ins and the sessions are wonderful and it makes me ecstatic to see the community coming together in some moments!
The lows: 1) Empty chatrooms (For eg: In the Academy Hub, because of the clash of timing, a discussion was held between only two members of the Academy; many chatrooms are sometimes empty and that's disheartening for sure)
2) Often there are members in some chatrooms that can be a little insolent in their behaviour towards another member or listener who is trying to support them and while this may arise due their own personal stress, it can trigger the person who's trying to help.
3) Fast paced chats are a real thing! I didn't ever realise how this would impact me or any other fellow listener/member on 7cups, however there was this one time when a listener wanted some help regarding a chat but the ongoing chat was so fast paced that they had to tell the others to slow down and help them out!
It's indeed great to see the community come together through shared experiences.
@StargirlTina I totally agree. Been through that!!
@ASilentObserver
3 Highs
- Connections formed with multiple people
- Ability to support multiple people at once on a singular shared topic
- Sharing Circle: being able to see how our members are doing on their journeys!
3 Lows
- Conflicts can arise more easily and bleed over from room to room.
- Seeing members struggling in a group setting and having to enforce the crisis rules, often to the anger and frustration of the member.
- Seeing the formation of cliques within the group chats and having to diffuse situations related to them.
I agree with you on the conflicts! Sometimes it feels like I could be reading too much into it, so it seems necessary sometimes to let it keep on for a while.
@ASilentObserver
Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!
Until recently, I enjoyed just reading other people's messages and supporting them. My 7cups-given name wasn't so interesting or memorable, so I imagine what I said wasn't tied to who I am and my relationship to whoever was talking. I was offering added volume to the support already visible. Then suddenly I was asked to share and it felt odd, it still does. And I am very conscious that even if I seemingly speak to only one or two other people, that my words have an impact. It's a dangerous and critical power that I know I have to be very responsible about.
The beauty of this community though is, while I know I have to be vigilant, the community is generally very altruistic. People are open to sharing, default on listening, and not very surprised if what is being shared isn't typical. (Maybe the atypical is all too common.) Every once in a while there's someone who is clearly unable to read the room but it's all forgivable. All these make this community very special.
@BrightandGentleHand
I absolutely loved reading through your post. You are very well spoken and I know you put a lot of thought in to this response. I wrote a paragraph back to comment on this, and the reply editor unfortunately disappeared on me. My comments here might not be as lengthy, but I really wanted to re-comment still as I keep re-reading this post, it has a lot of power and volume.
I agree with you that our voices hold responsibility, no matter how loud, quiet, memorable, or interesting they may seem to ourselves or others. They touch the community and have an impact. That is an amazing blessing, but also a potential risk like you mentioned. There are so many different voices, all with different stories, chiming in or just observing at once in the array of chatrooms 7 Cups has.
@ASilentObserver Highs
Very welcoming when i first messaged everyone
Helped me by answering few doubts i had
Met new people, got to different things all over the world
Lows
Difficult to participate in conversations because i was a new comer and people had already been friends
Listener group chats are a bit inactive so difficult to participate
seeing few indifference between two members
