The Bystander Impact

Have you ever heard of the bystander effect? Simply put, as more people are present there is a lower likelihood that someone in the group will actually help a person in distress. It has to do with a sense of accountability or ownership in a situation. It is thus easy to shift the responsibility to get involved to "someone else" when there are other people present. You may be thinking like me that I would definitely help someone if there was a cry for help. Studies suggest that you may not be as ready to break from the group and stand up to help out. What if, however, we could leverage the positive power from a group. Instead of shifting responsibility we felt strength in the group and voiced our concern. Wow, what a difference that could make! Perhaps we can change the phenomenon from the bystander effect to the bystander impact... how a bystander can make an impact and how a group can be a positive force for change.

In the Boat!

I just came back from an awesome team building activity for the FCHS Peer Counselors. In one of the activities the peer counselors were asked to get on a platform that resembled a boat that rocked very easily. The goal - to silently get all 22 members on the boat. No words were to be spoken. The group was successful. After the event - words like trust, commitment, and partnering were used to describe the experience. This group is making a difference and living out an example of the possibility of the community. As with any team there will be times of difficulty but they have pledged to remind each other of this experience with three simple words...in the boat. Like the words to a song, emotions suddenly well up as our mind links words with an experience. What core words can help you, your group, or your team refocus and reconnect with a positive experience? In the boat...I like it!