Group Reflection Paper

Sue and I were the co-leaders to lead the first session of the group. The goals of this session were to raise the group members’ awareness of the importance of career planning, to identify their self-concept and to explore their interests. Some critical events that happened during this session with reflection on them are as follows.

In order to bring out the importance of career planning, I was responsible to lead the warm up game that required group members to pick up another person’s shoes to wear. Then the winner would be the first one to wear another person’s shoes and returned to the seat. When I introduced this game to group members, they were shocked due to the hygienic issue. Sue and I had special arrangement, we prepared some plastic bags for them to cover their feet. Then they tried this game. Finally Stephanie was the winner and I asked her about the feeling of wearing another person’s

I did not have a clear understanding of the main task in the beginning phase of a group which is to build up relationship among group members, to set the group structure for next sessions, to make contract and to motivate group members to work for the group goal. It does not need to plan too many activities to work on career planning at the early stage. (Toseland & Rivas, 2012) This session was not well-planned. I had come up with five activities to hold which was mission impossible as there was only forty-five minutes. Every activity had to move from topic to topic too quickly. I could not go in detail which was a pity. Also, I was not sensitive to group members’ needs and could not fulfil the socio-emotional needs of group members. In order to lead the group successfully, I should set the suitable group goal, select suitable activities to engage group members and set a good environment for the development of the group in the planning phase. (Toseland & Rivas,