How to Keep Men's Groups Energized

How to Keep Men's Groups Energized -By Tony Bushman

Invariably your men's group will become accustomed to the way it functions and may even get bored. How do you help keep the group energized? Here are some suggestions:

Preventive measures:

Invite new people to join the group every six months

Create variety in your format - e.g. dinner, camping, workshops, discussion, play, work projects, focus on a chapter in a book, etc,

Welcoming attitude:

Greet each person. Show genuine pesonal interest in him. Introduce regulars to new attendees. Explain procedures to visitors. Call each newcomer the next day and invite him to the next meeting.

Reactive measures

Deal with things immediately. The actions of the group provide a crucible for dealing with the real world. Dysfunctions in the group mirror what is happening elsewhere. It is a good and safe forum in which to deal with with behavior that needs improvement.

Reflect behavior:

When you notice that the group is going through the doldrums, you can almost always energizes the group by asking, "I sense the group is losing energy. What do you think is happening?" The resulting discussion almost always refocuses the group and enables them to energize.