Processing Group Activities

What is processing? 
Simply stated, it is the act of helping a group apply the lessons that emerge from the experience of an activity to their daily lives.  During processing (sometimes referred to as “debriefing”), your group learns how to transfer insights gained during an activity back to the real world. Processing helps your group understand how to connect the consequences of their behaviors not just to the activities, but also to their day-to-day lives.  How your participants act and feel within the group is a reflection of their daily experience.  Processing provides them with an opportunity to sift through their emotions and habitual responses within a safe environment. Processing should not be looked upon as a separate activity; rather, it is connected to the whole experience. It is usually the most important part of an activity.

Ask questions instead of leading the discussion.  When you are processing an activity, try to keep the discussion open, honest, direct and compassionate.  If you model these qualities, it’s more than likely the group will follow your lead.  If you don’t feel comfortable with a topic, the group will sense your embarrassment.  Often, it’s better to be up-front with the group.  Let them know what about the discussion bothers you.  If necessary, try to find a colleague or friend with more experience to ask for assistance with the discussion next time the group meets. 

Bear in mind that it’s common for people facilitating groups to come away from the experience feeling that it all worked perfectly and everyone did everything, only to find a whole set of complications.  Maybe it was the perspective of a student who didn’t feel supported, or another who felt railroaded.  It’s not uncommon to miss these things.  The processing time allows the group to come forward with their own perceptions and conflicts.  It is much better for the group to have these emerge in a group talk session than in the hallway or in a one-on-one discussion with the leader.  Talking things out in the group gives the participants the opportunity to gain strength and become a more integral part of the change process. Not everyone gets the same thing out of an activity and processing provides the opportunity for group members to learn from one another.
 
Does processing require that the facilitator be passive?
There’s nothing that says you can’t participate.  “Relying on the group to provide the solution” could be construed that way, but in the processing, especially in some difficult interpretive situations, you must step in.  Sit back as long as the group members are providing ample interpretation and feedback.  If they aren’t, then say something.  But don’t jump in immediately!  Often we are so excited about an insight we’ve developed that we can’t stop ourselves from dropping the pearl.  Give the group the opportunity to come up with it.  When it’s time for you to say something, try to work it out so that the group says it.  Oftentimes a well-placed question can crack a deadlock and get the juices flowing better than a monologue.  Remember, the group wants you to be the expert because experts are safe to be with.  They have all the answers.  The group doesn’t have to think when experts are willing to step in.  Much of the flattery directed towards you as their leader is the group’s method of keeping you on top and keeping itself free from the burden of interpretation and responsibility.  It is not that you shouldn’t share your knowledge, but you need to get the participants to do the thinking as much as possible, to dig into their feelings, to build up their own collection of observations, and to provide an atmosphere that allows them to act on their thoughts.

Processing Guidelines
The specific questions you ask during a processing session will depend on the goals your group has established for itself as they go through each activity, but here are some general guidelines:

• Ask open-ended questions instead of making statements.  Good processing means that the group is sharing ideas and information, not giving advice to one another. Do not ask yes-or-no questions. 
• Try to keep your questions appropriate.  Don’t follow up if you sense that someone in the group is uncomfortable or might feel like you are prying. 
• Accept individuals and their feelings, but not all behavior.
• Pay attention to what is not said, as well as to what is said.
• Disclose your own thoughts and feelings when appropriate.
• Focus on giving praise and encouragement to the participants.
• Be as nonjudgemental as you possibly can.  Focus feedback on the behavior rather than on the person.  Be specific about what the person did during an activity instead of commenting on why you imagine they did something.
• Use “I” statements – identify your own feelings.  Ask the group to focus on their own feelings too.  Keeping the group focused on their feelings will help you maintain an atmosphere of open communication.
• Try to keep your group focused on one issue at a time.
• Focus on finding alternatives instead of finding answers or solutions.  “What can we learn from that?”  “Does anyone have anything to add?”
• If the group is answering silently (to themselves), be sure to give enough time for people to think about the answer before proceeding to the next question.
• If the group is answering your questions aloud, don’t be afraid to sit with the silence if no one jumps in to answer right away, sometimes the discomfort of the silence will cause people to speak when they would not ordinarily do so. 
• Give people time to form their responses, don’t jump in and feel like you have to fill the silence. Allow yourself to sit with the uncomfortable silence; if you feel the silence is no longer productive (e.g., the question you asked wasn’t particularly fruitful) rephrase the question or come at it from a different angle.
• If someone answers and you feel that there is something underlying their response, ask probing questions or make statements like “tell me more about that”
• Probing questions might be questions like “what would that look like for you if that were to happen?” or “have you ever had an experience like this that worked out the way you wanted it to?  how did that happen?  what led up to it?” or “what was that like for you?” (you are essentially trying to get more information from them, trying to get them to “flesh out” what they’ve said).
• Asking questions about how people feel about something can be quite revealing (simply “how did/does that make you feel?” works wonders).
• Even if you have a prepared set of questions to ask, allow the groups’ responses to guide you in your questions, don’t avoid topics that come up in their responses simply because they don’t conform to your list of questions – you’re trying to tap in to what’s there, not force something to be created so you can get your questions answered (sometimes we can’t possibly think of the right questions ahead of time because we don’t know how the activity will develop).
• Be sure to ask about anything unique or uncomfortable that happened during the activity, don’t pretend that it didn’t happen (allow participants to express how they felt about the situation).
• When you respond to participants, you don’t always have to use words (“hmmmm” works well), especially if you’re not sure how you feel or if you disagree.
• Don’t say or do things that will shut your respondents down (e.g., “that’s wrong” is almost always an inappropriate response), try saying something like “does anyone else have another response?” (which is also good even if the first respondent gave a great answer).
• You don’t always have  to respond when someone answers, sometimes just moving on the next person is just fine.
• Be sure to listen fully to the respondent’s answer, give them your undivided attention until they are completely through with their response.
• If you absolutely must disagree with a respondent (e.g., if they are relaying false information, etc.), be calm and non-judgmental when you say “I disagree.  And here’s why….”
• Use active listening skills (nod, say “mm hmm,” “I follow you” or such things to let the respondent know you are really hearing what they are saying – make them feel valued).

Most of the above information came from the following source: Chappelle, Sharon and Lisa Bigman with Francescs Hillyer. 1998. Diversity in Action.  A Project Adventure Publication.