Structure for Creating a Men's Group
In this video from the 2020 Embodied Men’s Leadership Training, John shares his structure for creating a men’s group. These steps can also be applied to a women’s group or any community group.
Often in new groups, the love, desire, and intent is there, but the structure is soft and underdeveloped. The amount of meticulous structure there is will impact how long the group lasts, whether the members of the group will be able to go deep with each other, how much trust is there etc., so it’s important to put focused attention onto your structure before diving in with your group.
You’ll learn:
Whether your group is made up of a few friends who meet once a month, a professional program, or anything in between, the first thing you will want to do is get very clear about the group’s intent. What is this group about? For example: brotherhood, sisterhood, depth, friendship, leadership, spiritual practice etc.
Then you can further identify which of these three things your group is looking to achieve: spiritual depth, therapeutic healing, yogic embodiment, or all three.
The next step is to find someone who has a similar intent. While it can be great to start a group on your own, having someone who shares your vision can give you a solid ground to launch from.
Then you will want to get clear on the purpose and values of your group. Ask yourselves, “What are we here for?” These can be outlined through bylaws, a mission statement, a statement of being, a purpose statement, etc. Sometimes this takes a while to flesh out—it could take a few weeks or more. Most people get groups together and start practicing together before these have been addressed, but it’s best that these are clear from the very beginning, and that you revisit them every year.
The final step in the early stages of the group is to get clear on the logistical structure. For example: How often do you meet? How long do you meet each session? Is the participation mandatory? What’s the entry process for the group? (i.e. Is there an interview?) What’s the exit process? What is the structure per meeting? Is leadership shared or is there a new leader each session? How do you deal with conflict, judgments, withheld emotions, competition, etc. within the group?