Something to touch: for some people being open in a small group is quite a challenge,
especially when they aren’t used to being still. Food and drink, such as biscuits or
cakes, provide acceptable ways to fidget, as do pointing and touching Blobs. Displaying
the Blobs on a screen and using Post-it notes to indicate where we are on an image is
another way of making people move and often open up. To fiddle with a pencil may be
annoying to you as a leader, but may enable the group member to remain in the room. It
may also annoy others, so do create an atmosphere of acceptance whereby fidgeting is
acceptable. We may not like such behaviour, but for someone who is struggling with
staying off drugs, the trauma of rape, the anger of rejection or the loneliness of homelessness, it is the least we can do to quietly love them.
Something to hear: walking into a silent environment can be too much for some, and is
almost as disturbing for others as walking into a night club where you can’t hear yourself talk. Music can set a mood for relaxation or excitement. Consider what CD or
iTunes tracks to have on in the background, or even invite people to share their playlist
during the event.
Something to watch: on the table there
might be a candle burning, or a DVD playing
whilst people come in. A poster linked to the
theme could be on the wall, or a slideshow
with provocative topic based images. We are
an image too. What we wear can enable
some to approach. Is the lighting slightly
dimmed, as people often relax more when
their faces are slightly hidden, which is why
party and pub lighting is often set like this?
Something to smell: Anita Roddick attributes some of her early success due to trails of
fragrance she laid on the way into her first
‘Body Shop’. She would spray perfumes outside the shop to draw others in. Perhaps the
smell of fresh coffee or scented candles
could have the same effect for a small group
meeting in your place of work? The most
important thing to avoid is a fusty, damp
smell – very off putting, as well as our own
body odour! Making sure our breath doesn’t
smell for the evening activity could make all
the difference.
Finally, when all is said and done, the best advert for your group is… you and your
group! Friendship and warmth are the two best ingredients to make a group or event
succeed.
Blob YMCA Training Manual
Growth does not reside in a place called comfortable