Working in group settings

Working in groups is at the heart of Handcrafted. Doing things together is powerful: it multiplies both challenges and benefits. When people gather:

Chemistry kicks in, and our bodies reinforce shared experiences.
Everyone contributes where the group is resourced by participants, not just facilitators.
Isolation breaks down as groups create community "under the radar."
Skills grow naturally, without being explicitly taught: socialisation improves communication and confidence.
Family is re-imagined because groups can provide a healthier version of "family" than many have known.

NB: Food strengthens this magic. Sharing a meal builds trust, belonging, and acceptance:

“Sharing meals proves to be an exceptionally strong indicator of subjective wellbeing – on par with income and unemployment. Those who share more meals with others report significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affect. This is true across ages, genders, countries, cultures, and regions." (The World Happiness Report 2025)

At the same time, it is important to remember that food, eating, and mealtimes can be difficult or triggering for some people. Sensitivity is needed, and facilitators should avoid assumptions. The presence of food can enrich group life, but it should never become a barrier to participation or inclusion.

The activity is secondary!

Groups at Handcrafted are not fundamentally about activities; they are about people discovering a sense of belonging, building confidence, and learning to flourish together. Facilitation means guiding gently, valuing every voice, and creating spaces where people feel safe, accepted, and empowered.

Facilitation vs. leadership

At Handcrafted, we focus on facilitation rather than command-style leadership.

UBUNTU

“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”

(Desmond Tutu)

Many expect a leader figure and will either defer to or rebel against them.

Facilitators guide gently, helping the group generate its own direction.
Even passive facilitation can be manipulative, so self-awareness is vital.

Facilitator’s values:

Democracy over dictatorship
Responsibility over entitlement
Cooperation over competition
Equality over hierarchy
Honesty over performance
Openness and lightness over intensity
Inductive (drawing out) over didactic (teaching at)

Interactive activity: In smaller groups, share an example where you’ve seen leadership and facilitation done differently. Which approach helped the group more? Report back briefly.

Expectations of participants

People often arrive with strong expectations:

Belonging – a deep need to connect.
Change – sometimes unrealistic hopes of instant transformation.
Attention – some expect the group to be “all about them,” others hang back.
Learning – many expect to be taught, not realising they also have something to give.
Safety – an assumption that the space will be non-threatening and supportive.

Our role is to help reshape expectations, showing participants they can both give and receive.

What expectations do you think people bring most often to groups at Handcrafted? How might these expectations agree or conflict with yours?

Creating 'safe enough' spaces

People need to feel enough safety to grow, but safety doesn't mean the absence of challenge. Ways to promote safety include:

Clear induction and preparation.
Warm welcome and interest in newcomers.
Attention to physical space – seating, lighting, room layout.
Boundaries – group-agreed codes of conduct.
Trust-building – consistency, confidentiality, and simple human kindness.

Often, the simplest gestures make the biggest difference.

Handling challenges

No group ever runs smoothly all the time. When it's not going well, don't panic. Maintain objectivity and aim to understand the dynamic (e.g. is a behaviour showing up in an individual or a faction? Who is it affecting? What are the risks here?):

Personality clashes
1. Often caused by unclear roles or miscommunication, not true incompatibility.
2. Look deeper than “just personalities.”
Dominating participants
1. May be showing leadership potential? Can that be given a healthy outlet?
2. Redirect positively: “Does anyone else have thoughts?” (allowing the group to have a voice without singling out the individual)
3. Name the issue for yourself so you know what you are dealing with (there are different sorts of domination: emotional, verbal, physical, social, and even intellectual).
4. Use humour or breaks to reset the balance.
Non-participation
1. May signal boredom, unclear instructions, too much complexity in the task, or feeling unheard.
2. Ask: is it disruptive? If not, it may be harmless.
3. Change pace, give breaks, or re-engage gently.

What strategies have you used or seen done well to handle these types of challenges?

Starting and finishing well

Start well:

Introductions
Clear intentions and instructions
Space for social interaction

Finish well:

Closure and preparation for life outside the group
Celebration of achievements

Advice for new facilitators

If you’re stepping into group work at Handcrafted:

Acceptance is key: welcome people as they are.
Be yourself: honesty builds trust faster than performance.
Stay humble: “Good leaders don’t carry titles, they carry towels.”
Pick your battles: you don’t need to correct everything.
Breaks are powerful: use them to reset group energy.

What would your advice be to a new facilitator? Write down one sentence of advice and share it with the group.