The FLIP project, held by our partner “L’isola che c’è”, is moving forward with new activities and online meetings to achieve its main goal: financial literacy and the implementation of participatory budget methodology! Promoting financial literacy means promoting the awareness and skills needed to manage money more effectively and build a more solid future.
On September 10th, another meeting of the FLIP project took place online. This session focused on the importance of communication and the key role of the facilitator, as we will in the next months should act as ones for the developing of our projects!.
Being a facilitator is not an easy task. Coordinating a group towards a shared objective requires much more than simply giving directions. First of all, it means taking a step back, reflecting on our own communication style, recognizing our personal skills and understanding how we use them.
COMMUNICATION & GROUP DYNAMICS
Communication is not always straightforward and creating harmony is the very first step in managing a group effectively. A facilitator needs to coordinate meetings, engage participants and guide the team towards achieving common goals.
This meeting highlighted why it’s so important to reflect on how we communicate. Communication strongly influences the way we’re perceived: while we may have an idea of ourselves, others may see us differently. Tone of voice, words, gestures and posture can all make a difference, changing both the quality of communication and the impression we give.
Communication also plays a central role in shaping group dynamics. The way we interact can encourage collaboration, but it can also generate conflicts. Reflecting on our own communication style makes us more aware and it allows us to create a united and cooperative group.
However, it’s important to remember that group dynamics are not simply the sum of individual dynamics. What does this mean? When people come together, two things of interaction must be considered:
- personal dynamics: each person has their own way of thinking, reacting and behaving. Some may be out-going, while others may be shy.
- group dynamics: when individuals interact, the group develops its own collective behavior, which is different from that of each single member. This includes implicit rules, emerging conflicts and leadership roles shaped through interaction. Every group has its own dynamics and these can even be influenced or changed by just one person.
WORK GROUP: LEARNING BY DOING
We did workshops and activities on an effective communication between partners and when working together in a project
We began with an online exercise on (MENTIMETER) about how to express our needs clearly and how to respond effectively when others communicate theirs. Afterward, we moved into breakout rooms for group activities.
In the group, the first task was to create a village together. Where we are to brainstorm a name for our village, design a symbol to represent it, and decide on the key activities our village would be known for, and also to come up with the key core values of the village. Once that was done, we were asked to select a “mayor” to represent the group.
Our next activity in the breakout room involved crisis management. We imagined the worst natural disaster striking our village and worked as a team to propose solutions. We considered how to protect and support humans, animals, and buildings during the disaster and also developed a recovery plan to help the village rebuild afterward.
Overall, the day was engaging, interactive, and gave us the chance to practice communication, creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.
