Types of Interventions
The difficult and delicate art of doing nothing
When something unexpected occurs, the natural thing is for the group to look to you to solve the situation. Sometimes, however, the most powerful thing a facilitator can do is to do nothing. By taking no action, you can sometimes create a powerful motivation for participants to handle their own dilemmas. “Nothing” is often a good first intervention because it gives you some time to think about your next step if “nothing” doesn’t work.
Describing what you see
A simple intervention is to report to the group your perception of what is happening without evaluating or suggesting a course of action. “We seem to be having a hard time getting into this activity.” The group can then focus on the obstacle and can join in arriving at a solution.
- Describing your feelings
This intervention involves your describing what you perceive is happening and how you feel about it. “We are discussing national politics instead of community resources, and I guess I’m uncomfortable with that,” or “This discussion is getting pretty intense, and I’m anxious about where it’s going.” This reporting of feelings (without laying the blame on anyone) can serve as a powerful stimulus for a group to come to grips with the problem.
- Asking for help
An effective intervention involves describing what is going on, reporting your feelings, and appealing to the group for a decision. “Does anyone else feel the same way?” and “How many of you feel that way?” are mild appeals. A stronger appeal would be to ask, “Can we do something about that?”
Acknowledging emotional situations
Changing one’s behavior can strike very deep – it can be scary and unknown territory, as well as just plain frustrating. If someone becomes emotionally distraught (if you sense that someone is close to tears or in tears), you may have to intervene to direct attention away from that person until he or she can regain composure. You can do this by simply acknowledging in a kind tone of voice that “These are emotional issues for many of us and that’s OK.” If the person wants to continue to share his or her feelings, you would let them, but you can also call on someone else as the situation dictates.
Strong Action
This intervention entails more risk. Much depends on the choice of words, the tone and volume of your voice, facial expressions, and body posture. A strong intervention may range from a gentle interpretation (“I think something is bothering you”) to a direct instruction (“I am going to have to ask you to leave the room to calm down for a moment” or “Why don’t we all take a short break now to get some fresh air?”).
Other strong interventions include:
- Touching: anything from reaching out to someone who is upset to separating combatants
- Verbal censure: Comments such as “I think what you are doing does not fit this situation” to “Your behavior appears to be unsettling to the group.”
- Reinforcing limits: Remarks from “We agreed not to break until after this activity” to
“Neither of you is following the rule of allowing William to pass without question.”
(From Winter & Glantz, 1992)
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