Blue Peter
The Sea School
Youth Leader Training
Tell me, and I will Forget;
Show me, and I may remember;
Involve me, and I will understand.
Outline of this session
• Unmet needs can
influence our behaviour
• Gaps model
• Adventure model
• Stress and performance
model
• Stages of group
development model
•Situational leadership
What are Needs?
Abraham
Maslow’s
Hierarchy of
Needs:
“something that is essential for people”
`
Another needs model
William Glasser:
 The need to be secure and comfortable
 The need to belong
 The need to be somebody
 The need to love
 The need for fun
 The need to be free…
“beyond all these, or perhaps before all of them”
Understanding Needs
The conscious or unconscious desire to meet our
needs can affect people’s motivation and behaviour.
Individual or group needs may include:
• knowledge and skills relevant to the activity
• needs relating to their stage of development
• physical needs
• emotional needs
• special needs
Using a needs framework:
• Assists in separating the individual from the behaviour
• Informs your program design and intervention
• Increases your understanding of groups and individuals
• Increases your range of appropriate responses
Understanding behaviour
 The need to be secure and comfortable
 The need to belong
 The need to be somebody
 The need to love
 The need for fun
 The need to be free…
The Adventure
Model
•stage
•stage
•stage
•stage
1:
2:
3:
4:
play 
adventure!
frontier adventure
misadventure.
7
The Gaps Model
Misadventure
Large Gap
Frontier Adventure
Stimulus
Small
Gap Adventure
Play
For any given stimulus, people will
have varying responses to that
because of their competence, skills,
experience and picture of the
world in relation to that stimulus.
Stress and Performance Model
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
CONSTRUCTIVE AND
POSITIVE STRESS
PRODUCING
OPTIMUM LEARNING
PERFORMANCE
LEVEL
PLAY
ADVENTURE
FRONTIER ADVENTURE
STRESS EXPERIENCED
MISADVENTURE
ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY
FRAME
DEBRIEF
“You meathead!
Now watch! …the rabbit goes up through the hole,
around the tree five or six times …”
Stages of Group Development
•
Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Mourning
These stages may not follow
logically
– groups can jump stages
– groups can be in two
stages at the same time
– groups can fall back
stages
Situational Leadership
Model
NORMING
Share ideas & facilitate in making
decisions
High Relationship
Low Task
Relationship Behaviour
(Supportive Behaviour)
High Relationship
Low Task
Low Relationship
Low Task
Turn over responsibility for decisions
& implementation
PERFORMING
STORMING
Explain your decisions and
provide opportunity for
clarification
High Task
Low Relationship
Provide specific instructions & closely
supervise performance
FORMING
Task Behaviour
(Directive Behaviour)
Leadership styles
Autocratic
Democratic
Laissez-faire
Leaders
actions:
The leader makes
the decisions and
gives directions
that the group has
to follow.
The leader provides
opportunities for
discussion and
consultation before the
group and leader
together make the
decision about
actions.
Both leader and group are
involved in the decision
making process, but the
group is responsible for the
decisions made. The leaders
role is predominantly
advising and coordination.
Appropriate
when:
When a group
needs direction (eg.
forming, storming)
or tighter control eg
during emergency
situations or with
limited time frames
and heavy
consequences
When group
commitment is
required, group
rapport is being
developed, people feel
safe and there is time
for consultation in the
decision making
process.
For matters that the group
may assume responsibility
and when it is shared
among group members who
are capable of performing at
the level required.
Maintain a safe and supportive environment
We have a duty of care to ensure the
physical and emotional safety of all
participants.
The behaviour of yourself and other
leaders in the group can dictate the
nature of the social environment.
From the beginning, it is your role to
ensure that a safe and supportive
environment is set up within the
group eg. principles of respect and
challenge by choice.
This will assist in enhancing the
quality of the learning experience
and produce more effective
transferable change.
Scenarios:
• Think of a situation related to youth
leadership that you would like to unpack
• Describe and discuss the situation with the
people at your table and decide on which
one to use as an example for discussion