ECCAY RESOURCES
Exercise nr. 12
FOCUS ON SUCCESS STORIES
|
Minimum number of participants |
Average time length | Individual setting |
Group setting | Special Equipment | Unit | Online | Challenges/ competition |
| 4 or more | 3 hours | no | yes | yes | 1-2-3- 4-5-6 |
no | no |
In this exercise, participants in a working group are asked to describe an activity (sports, daily life, leisure, school, work…) to which he/she has contributed and of which he/she feels very satisfied and proud.
Aim / Benefits
1. Showing an interest in participants, in what they are achieving, and allowing them to reveal their strengths to others, can help create the trust needed for a collaborative group dynamic, and alliance with the professional facilitator.
2. Inviting each member of the group to identify the capacities, resources and strengths that they have been able to mobilise to contribute to this success, can change the way he (or she) perceives himself and the other members of the group.
UNIT(s) related
- Unit 1: This exercise can be linked to Unit 1 which focuses on the foundations of SFA. It highlights what is already working for clients, their strengths. This activity elicits optimism, collaboration and confidence in clients' resources.
- Unit 2: This exercise can be related to unit 2. It uses questions that build the capacity of the client or group to construct solutions.
- Unit 3: This exercise can be related to unit 3. It facilitates the framework of relationships conducive to the development of each person's abilities in complete safety, putting the client and his (or her) expertise in the centre.
- Unit 4: This exercise can be linked to Unit 4 as it helps to understand each other better within the group, to build trust. Telling about one's own experience can help to discover one's own resources and can change the way other participants see them. This unit highlights the positive effects of group work (John Sharry, 2007).
- Unit 5: This exercise can be related to Unit 5 as it offers reflection on one’s own experience so it can also be used to help professionals reflecting on their work, in a specific situation or in general.
- Unit 6: This exercise can be linked to UNIT6 because the questions asked will lead him/her to identify the resources he/she has been able to exploit from his/her environment (friends, family, professionals, services, etc.)
How to do the exercise
Step 1 / Preparation:
(MANDATORY to explain how to prepare and introduce the exercise to the participants).
The professional presents the steps of the exercise to the participants.
1. Allow 10 minutes for each person to reflect the activity he/she wants to share. The condition is that it is an activity of which he/she is proud of. This preliminary time of reflection alone is necessary because these participants may not have the experience of talking about themselves in a positive way and it is necessary to give them time to choose the activity of which they are most proud.
2. Once everyone has chosen, they should be prepared to answer the following questions (these questions will be written on the paperboard and should be written by everyone on a sheet of paper):
Talking about the actions and behaviours he/she did in this activity:
What exactly did you do?
- Can you describe the specific actions you did that made you achieve the result?
How did you do it?
- Can you describe the specific actions you did that made you achieve the result?
- Was there somebody helping you achieve the result?
- Can you describe the attitude you achieving the result
Talking about capacities:
- What personal resources and strengths did you mobilise to achieve the result?
- If there were other persons helping you, How did you find their help?
- What makes you are you proud of the result you achieved?
Step 2 / Work in pairs:
In turn, one person talks about the activity he/she is proud of by answering the questions, while the other notes the answers to the questions (½ hour each).
During this step, the facilitator can provide a support if it is necessary. For example, if a participant says: “I have no story to share”. The facilitator can encourage him/her by saying: “What do you do well in your live” or “what do you like to do?
Step 3/ Back to the group:
sharing the results in the group. Each participant presents to the group the activity chosen by his/her partner, and must point out the resources, capacities and assets. The professional facilitator notes the answers to the questions on the paperboard, highlighting the single person has shared by answering the questions.
Asking each participant to share his/her partner’s story is helpful in different ways.
1. The person sharing your story might highlight aspects of your narrative you did not paid so much attention, and that might help you enrich the story you have on yourself.
2. The person sharing your story practices Double Listening (see Unit 1), as he/she need to focus on explaining to the group what worked in your success story.
3. The group listening to the story practices Double Listening as well, as they listen to different success stories and learn to pay attention to elements that work.
Final step / Conclusion:
The professional will highlight the assets implemented through this exercise. The interest is to highlight the expertise of each individual and the group.
Debrief
Specific materials
Have a paper board if you do not have a blackboard in the meeting room.
Tips and Tricks
A break with drinks and biscuits in all group before the sharing of the situations presented can help to create a friendly atmosphere for the continuation of the work.
Humour can be a useful attitude to adopt, in order to ease whatever tension or situation of embarrassment might emerge in the group during this activity.
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